Early Fire
by Shattered Aura
Summary: What if the church fire happened when Johnny was gone to get supplies?
1. The Fire

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**This here is an idea that my mind came up with at eleven in the night while I was trying to sleep. (Yes, my mind chooses interesting times to come to life and give me good ideas.)**

**For now, I was thinking that it could be a two-shot or three-shot, but if I get, say, 5 reviews or more per chapter, then I'll consider making it longer!**

**Summary: What if the church fire happened when Johnny was gone to get supplies?**

**Yes, a pretty short summary, but it summarizes the story pretty well!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story plot.**

**Note: everything was written on my Ipad Notes app, so I might have typos and a couple of mistakes. I dearly apologize for that!**

**I hope you guys enjoy! I have the second chapter done, so if I get five reviews for this one, I'll post it by the end of the week, promise!**

**Now read on, and please, R &amp; R!**

XxX

Ponyboy Curtis woke up to the scent of smoke. He coughed once, twice before looking around. He saw no smoke nor was it close, but he could still smell it.

Suddenly he noticed that he was alone in the church. "Johnny?" he called, but he got no answer. He stood up, wiping the message which was written in the sand next to him without ever seeing it, and he started to panic. Had Johnny gone alone to get supplies and had gotten caught by the fuzz? Would he be forever alone in this church? And how would he tell Dally that Johnny was gone?

He doubled over, coughing again. He closed his eyes, trying to get control over himself, and when he opened them again, he gasped.

There was a fire in the church, and it was heading straight toward him!

"Johnny!" he shouted, starting to panic. A piece of timber fell next to him, making him scream. Another piece fell down, this time hitting his left arm, almost snapping it in half. He screamed in pain as he fell on his knees while desperately trying to cradle his broken arm, which was also burned.

He didn't notice that the floor he was on was made of wooden planks until one of them gave way under his weight, causing him to fall in a hole. It was deep enough that he was barely able to reach out of the hole.

He landed on something hard and felt searing pain in his left knee, travelling its way in his entire body, making him scream out in pain.

He collapsed on the floor, in pain and frozen in fear. Above him, pieces of burning timber and planks collapsed around the hole, until one piece, which looked to be a wooden hatch with square shaped holes in it, fell down on the hole, blocking Ponyboy from getting out of it.

He started bawling from fear of never getting out and never seeing Johnny, his brothers and the gang ever again. He screamed again in hopes of having someone hear him when more pieces of wood fell down, pinning the wooden hatch on the hole and starting to bury it. He tried to get up but the pain in his knee was unbearable and he couldn't use his arms to support him, as one of them was broken.

He faintly heard someone scream his name until the rumbling of the collapsing church worsened, making him huddle in a ball, ignoring his throbbing knee and arm, terrified. He closed his eyes, sobbing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, everything seized. The rumbling sounds were over, and everything was dark. He realized that he was trapped in a hole inside the church, and it could take hours, if not days before being found. He once wondered what it was like being inside a burning ember, and now he knew; it was being stuck in unbearable heat with no way out except death.

He buried his head in the crook of his right arm, and the only sounds he heard were his own sobs.

XxX

Johnny made his way back to the church with a box of supplies he had bought with the money Dallas gave him. He felt bad for taking two smokes from Ponyboy's pack, the last two ones no less, but he had a craving when he woke up and he bought more anyway. He also felt bad for not making Ponyboy come with him, but he figured the boy would be safe. He needed rest.

Johnny saw smoke in the distance and vaguely wondered if there was a fire in a nearby house, but there were about two houses between the store and the church, and it was about a ten minute walk from each other, so it was unlikely.

But them something hit him. The church. Smoke!

_Ponyboy!_

He dropped the box of supplies on the ground and started at a dead run toward the church, stopping dead in his tracks once he caught sight of it. It was on fire! He heard a scream from inside the church and knew without a doubt that it was Ponyboy's.

Johnny finally reached the church and was about to get in when it started collapsing. "Ponyboy!" he screamed out loud, but he had to take a step back when the church collapsed. "No!" he screamed again when it was finally over. The fire was still raging, and he fell down on his knees, trying to control his tears. There was no way Ponyboy was alive if the church collapsed on top of him.

He huddled into a ball on the ground close to the church, not caring if it would burn him, and started to sob despite himself. His friend would've never survived that. Ponyboy was as good as dead.

Johnny felt a strong hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see a cop. He hadn't even heard any sirens, but when he looked up, he noticed that there were many firefighters trying to put out the fire, and an ambulance was there in case someone was in the church or close to it. In this case, Ponyboy.

"Are you Johnny Cade?" the cop asked him. Johnny knew what he'd do; he'd arrest him and he wouldn't be able to help save Ponyboy.

He still didn't deny it. "Y-Yeah, Sir I am, b-but please listen to me before hauling me to the station, I won't even fight you, just listen..."

A firefighter joined them while the cop looked at the teen suspiciously. "Go on, but don't try anything," he warned. Johnny shook his head.

"N-No, my friend, he...he was in the church when it collapsed. I can explain everything on the way to the station, but please, let me help my friend..." He looked at the firefighter. "Please," he begged again.

The firefighter hesitated. "Well...I don't want to put another life in danger. Are you sure there's someone in the church at this moment?"

Johnny immediately nodded. "I'm positive," he claimed. "I...I killed a kid last night and the cop knows, and...I was too scared, so my friend was with me and we ran away until we found the church...I smoked this morning and I'm probably the cause of the fire..." He moaned at that though. "Oh God, my friend could die because of me...Please, let me help!"

The firefighter nodded with narrowed eyes while the cop let go of Johnny's shoulder, also helping out in the search for Ponyboy. The firefighter gave the teen a uniform and a mask and gave him advice. "If you find your friend, you can scream in the mask, we'll hear you; just don't take it out. There's still smoke lingering in the air and you could choke."

Johnny nodded and waited until the fire was put out, and then the firefighters, along with Johnny, started tearing the wooden mess piece by piece. He tried to hurry up, knowing that if his best friend was alive, he wouldn't be able to stay awake for long if he was badly hurt and it would be more dangerous for him.

It was a race against time to find Ponyboy.


	2. The Rescue And The Arrest

**A/N: Hey guys! **

**Thank you so much for the reviews! It makes me feel better! My mood has been sour but I do have great grades and since I'm in the Outsiders school theater piece, it's really fun, so it helped!**

**Anyway, here are my replies to them:**

**dani-curtis-16: ****Thank you, I appreciate it! Enjoy this chapter!**

**Mary Del Mondestos:**** I kinda have school so I can't stay up every night to write, though! I have to wake up at six in the morning and I am already NOT a morning person! Plus, I write the idea down, but not the text. I wrote the text in the afternoon on my free time, and I guess it still turned out fine! Thank you for taking your time in reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** You'll have to read to find out! :)**

**goldengreaser:**** Thank you!**

**The Youngest Writer:**** Thank you so much for the awesome review! You have no idea how happy I am that you took the time to review my story! I'm actually a huge fan of your fanfics! And this fan is very happy that you like her work! :D**

**TheOrangeHokageOfTheLeaf:**** Happy you love it. :) Enjoy!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you!**

**Now, on with the story!**

XxX

It had been two hours now and Ponyboy was blankly staring at the mess above him with bloodshot eyes, tear tracks on his pale face, shaking from hunger, fear and tiredness. He coughed from time to time but it was weak and he was desperate, thinking of various scenarios as to how it could have ended. He was in a way thankful to still be alive but sometimes he wished he could die to escape the pain he was in. Plus, he could see his parents again.

The thoughts overwhelmed him, making him shaky and unable to relax. _No_, he told himself, _I want to stay alive. I want to see Soda and Darry and Johnny and the rest of the gang, even Steve._

He thought of what his brothers must be doing right now. Were they worried? Well, there was no doubt that Sodapop was, but Ponyboy focused his thoughts on Darry. Did he regret hitting him? Was he looking for him right now? Was he missing his baby brother?

Ponyboy sure missed him. He would take the pain of a slap again if it meant getting out of this hole and into the safety of both his brothers' arms. He started crying at the thought of never seeing his brothers again.

Suddenly, there was a small light spot above him, and he squinted his eyes to look at it. It was coming from one of the wooden hatch's holes. He could be found!

"Hey, I think I found something!" a voice shouted, and he instantly recognized it as Johnny's.

"Johnny," he screeched, trying to reach out for his best friend, but he used his left arm, forgetting about its broken state. He cried out and slowly cradled it again, looking up as the small spot of light was beginning to grow bigger. He squinted again until the entire wooden hatch was revealed and the spot of light was at its biggest. His eyes widened, seeing his best friend in a firefighter uniform.

"I found him!" Johnny shouted in his mask, relieved to see his best friend still alive but so worried at the same time, seeing him in the state he was in.

Ponyboy was covered in sooth and his right knee was bent out of place. He was cradling his left arm, which also seemed to be broken. He was visibly shaken.

"Ponyboy!" Johnny shouted, letting his best friend know that he was there to save him.

"Johnny," he wailed. "Help," he croaked desperately. Johnny cringed at how weak Ponyboy sounded.

"I'll help you Pony, don't worry," Johnny reassured the boy before turning to the firefighters who were standing around him while trying to get the wooden hatch out of the way. They noticed that it was pinned down by the wood planks around them, so they started hauling them out of the way. Soon, two of them grabbed the heavy wooden hatch and hauled it on another pile. Ponyboy was finally one step closer of being free.

"Can you get up, kid?" a firefighter asked, and Ponyboy shook his head.

"No, I-I think I broke my knee..."

"Hold on kiddo, we'll get you out of that hole," the firefighter said, and then he wrapped a rope tightly around Johnny's waist and whispered something to him. Johnny nodded and slowly climbed down the hole, its wall made of solid rock with a couple of dents big enough to let his foot keep traction. The boy found himself next to his best friend in the hole, who clung to him with his right arm while crying.

"Johnny," the boy cried out, shaking. Johnny could see that the whole thing had frightened him. Johnny rubbed his friend's back but felt something sticky. He looked at Ponyboy's back and noticed a blood spot on his shirt.

"Pony, can you tell me your injuries?" he asked while helping Ponyboy sit on the cot, which was tied up to ropes and lowered in for Ponyboy to sit in to help him out of the hole.

"Uh...broken knee, my arm hurts too," he whimpered. He hissed when he bent up in a more comfortable position to sit still in the cot. "Something on my back stings."

"Alright, pull him out!" Johnny shouted, yanking on the cot's ropes. The firefighters helped Ponyboy up and when he was finally out of the hole, paramedics swarmed around him, strapping the frightened boy in a gurney and putting a breathing mask over his face. The remaining firefighters yanked his rope up to help him climb his way back out.

He stripped out of the heavy uniform and made his way to the ambulance when he felt a strong hand in his shoulder. It was that cop again.

But before the cop could handcuff him and put him in the fuzz car, a paramedic ran toward the duo. "Sir, the boy's been asking for that kid," he stated, pointing at Johnny with his chin. "The both of you can hop in the ambulance and let that kid explain everything."

The cop nodded, motioning for his assistant to take the wheel and drive back to the hospital with them as he ushered Johnny in the back of the ambulance. The paramedic quickly closed the doors behind the group, and the ambulance sped to the main road.

"Sir, the nearest hospital is in Tulsa, which is a three hour ride from the church to there. Do you..."

"It'll take us an hour and a half tops to get there," barked the driver, interrupting the other paramedic. "The boy can at least be treated in the back of the ambulance for his cut and his arm, if it doesn't need to be splinted."

The paramedic who was treating Ponyboy took that as a cue to start working on his arm, unbuttoning Ponyboy's shirt and being careful of his arm. He started getting the sleeve out of his arm but Ponyboy moaned and whimpered, and the paramedic had no choice but to cut the sleeve. Ponyboy opened his eyes and when he saw the knife, he panicked.

"Pony, calm down, he's not gonna hurt you!" Johnny said, putting his hand on Ponyboy's right shoulder and squeezing it slightly, calming the boy down. Still, he closed his eyes and whimpered.

The paramedic took it as an opportunity to stab Ponyboy with a needle in the crook of his uninjured arm, making the boy yelp but close his eyes. He fell into a restless sleep.

"What was that?" Johnny asked, alarmed. The paramedic smiled warmly.

"A sedative. The boy was understandably scared, but I do have to treat his wounds without him panicking." Johnny wordlessly nodded, watching as the paramedic completely took the shirt off and worked on his arm. It wasn't pretty to watch, so he looked away. The cop, who hadn't said a word before, demanded Johnny to explain him about the murder and the church and everything.

So, Johnny explained everything, with each and every detail, small or not, from the night at the Drive In to the church incident. He left out that Dallas helped them, since he didn't want the tow-headed greaser in trouble. Sure, Dallas had been to jail before; but helping a "murderer", whether it be intentional or not, was serious.

The cop nodded and listened throughout all of it. He seemed genuinely interested and understanding of the young greaser. He seemed to realise, finally, that not all greasers were dangerous.

"Sir," Johnny started to add. "Ponyboy...maybe he was there, and maybe he ran with me, but he has nothing to do with any of it. I should've brought him home to his brothers, and then maybe I could've prevented the fire...but we were both scared, I mean, he had been drowned and almost killed! And...We weren't thinking clearly; we just wanted a safe place to calm down, and we ended up at the church."

"At what point are you getting at?" the cop swiftly asked. Johnny understood what he meant; what was the point in talking about Ponyboy when he was the one who killed Bob?

"All I'm saying is; please, sir, when Pony gets released from the hospital, don't arrest him...I mean, man, I'm sixteen and couldn't hurt a fly and I killed a guy no more than two years older than I am, but he was killing my best friend, I-I didn't want Pony to die! He's only turned fourteen a month ago for Christ's sake, he doesn't deserve to be dragged into this!"

The cop raised his eyebrow but didn't answer. Johnny kept ranting. For such a quiet boy, he sure had a lot to tell. "Pony...he has a future, he's skipped a grade, runs track, has straight A grades, reads and draws a lot. He...he digs sunrises and sunsets and stars and all, I mean he's bright and about the only Greaser who's gonna end up far in life. If he were to die...his family and our friends would've been crushed. He's our hope, man, I couldn't let him die!"

"I know that he does have a role in this and he ran away with me, and I also know that he's gonna want to testify that I didn't mean to kill the guy, but just...don't lock Ponyboy up in a prison cell too, man. He's too young for that and he didn't do anything wrong, I did. He deserves only the best."

The cop nodded, interested. "You know, kid, you surprise me. You two might bring some important change in our society; maybe the warfare between the rich and the poor will die down, and people will understand that money isn't as important as it is."

Johnny smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Thanks, sir."

The cop smiled back, but it faded soon after. "I believe what you told me, kid, but the justice still has to be taken care of. We'll have to lock you in a secluded cell, not because you're dangerous, but because this is probably the most important case we've had in forever, and you need to be focused. You'll still be able to have visitors, and I'll ask to be the guard in charge of you to notify you of anything else. You do understand, right?"

Johnny sadly nodded. "Yeah, sir, I do. It's the law, I get it." He shyly smiled. "It makes me feel a little better to know that you're on my side, though."

The cop patted his shoulder. "No problem there."

The ambulance skidded to a stop, giving back focus to Johnny and the cop. The hour and a half had been spent talking about the murder, which surprised Johnny but also made him feel dread.

He followed the cop and the paramedics in the hospital with Ponyboy, but he had to stay in the waiting room while Ponyboy was wheeled in to ER for surgery.

"Wanna call his family before I haul you in, kid?" the cop asked. Johnny nodded and made his way to the payphone, slightly shaking. He dialed Darry's phone number with shaky hands and gulped as it started ringing.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ri-_

In the middle of the third ring, someone answered. "Darry?...It's Johnny...Yeah, I'm fine, but...The hospital...Listen, something happened...You do know about the murder, right?...The place where we were hiding, it caught on fire...He's in surgery..." Johnny looked over at the cop, who motioned for him to hurry up. "Sorry, Darry, but I gotta go...Cops found me, I'm getting...Yeah, but it's alright, the one who arrested me is on our side...Yeah, you can come with Pony after he gets out of the hospital...See ya, Darry, and...take care of Pony, man...Tell him I'm sorry for everything...Bye."

The cop tapped Johnny, wordlessly telling him to turn around. Johnny hesitantly nodded, still nervous, but complied. With complete silence, the cop handcuffed his wrists behind his back and sat him down in the car, and then he sat in the passenger seat while his assistant sped up, to where people called prison, but to where he would call it Hell.


	3. The Discovery

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Thank you for the reviews, they are very encouraging! Here are my replies:**

**Seth Clearwater:**** You'll have to read to find out!**

**Frank Elza:**** Thank you! I love the fact that you always point out the positive things in my fanfics, I really appreciate it :)**

**Mary Jane Evans (chapter 1):**** But I'm a ****_smart_**** greaser girl, like our sweet Ponyboy! *_* ;) Thanks girl, for the comment AND the review! :D**

**Guest:**** Thank you!**

**And I'd like to thank all readers who take their time in, well, reading my fanfic! It's highly appreciated! Now, on with the story! R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

Darry barely had the time to step out of the shower that the phone rang. Knowing that Sodapop wouldn't pick it up, still moping in his room, he had to hurry.

It had been an entire day that the two brothers hadn't seen Ponyboy. Almost an entire day that Darry had hit him. The guilt clawed at him, reminding him of Ponyboy's face when his hand met the boy's cheek. Darry usually couldn't read Ponyboy's emotions easily, but he saw him as clear as a mirror.

Darry picked up the phone at the third ring. "Hello?"

"Darry?" a small voice asked.

"Ponyboy?" he asked, hopeful. Out of the corner of his eye, Sodapop peaked from his room, also hopeful upon hearing Ponyboy's name.

"It's Johnny..."

Darry stayed mouth agape. Johnny? Where was he? What happened? Was he with Ponyboy? He had a million questions to ask him, but he asked the first that came to his mind. "Johnny? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but..."

"Where are you?" he interrupted.

"The hospital," Johnny answered immediately. _Oh no_, Darry thought, _don't tell me..._ "Listen, something happened..."

"What is it?" he asked. He was getting worried. By the tone of Johnny's voice, he had a reason to worry.

"You do know about the murder, right?" the younger boy asked in a small voice. Of course Darry knew. He also knew that Ponyboy was with him.

"Yeah, Johnny, I know," Darry told him as softly as he could. "Why, what is it?" By then, Sodapop was by his older brother's side, listening to the conversation.

"The place where we were hiding, it caught on fire..." Darry gulped. Fire. Ponyboy. Hospital.

Oh, no.

"How's Pony? Is he alright?" At this, Sodapop perked up.

"He's in surgery..." Surgery. Jesus Christ. He had been in a fire and was now at the hospital, obviously hurt. Darry prayed to God that it wasn't permanent.

"Darry?" Sodapop asked, starting to worry.

Darry turned to the phone. "Johnny? Are you there?"

"Sorry, Darry, but I gotta go..." Johnny said, hesitating.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, alarmed.

"Cops found me, I'm getting..."

"What?! Arrested?" Darry asked, interrupting him. Sodapop's eyes widened, knowing he was talking about Johnny and also knowing about the murder.

"Yeah, but it's alright, the cop who arrested me is on our side," Johnny answered reassuringly. Of course he sounded shaken too, but that was to be expected. Johnny couldn't hurt a fly, and now he was going to prison for murder. He was bound to be shaken by this.

"Are you gonna be able to have visitors, at least?"

"Yeah, you can come with Pony after he gets out of the hospital."

"Well, alright then," Darry started. "I'll visit you before, too. See you, Johnnycakes."

"See ya, Darry, and...take care of Pony, man."

"I will, Johnny, I will," Darry promised him.

"Tell him I'm sorry for everything..."

"Alright..." he said, confused, but not asking questions. "Bye, kiddo."

"Bye," Johnny said, and then he hung up. As soon as Darry hung up too, Sodapop was on him, asking a million questions, which the young man couldn't find the right words to answer.

"Get your shoes on, Soda," Darry finally told him, his jacket already on. "We're going to the hospital."

XxX

The ride to the hospital was silent. Sodapop was worriedly looking outside as houses and cars sped by, going unnoticed. He was deep in thoughts, something in which Darry never thought would happen to Sodapop. Usually, the dreamer in the Curtis family was Ponyboy.

_Ponyboy_...Darry hoped he was alright. If something bad happened and he is to be scarred for the rest of his life, Darry'd never forgive himself. He thought it was all his fault that Ponyboy ran away, and his fault he got hurt.

Darry pulled up in the hospital's parking lot and quickly found a spot. Sodapop didn't even give him time to park before taking off his seatbelt and hopping out of the car so fast it made Darry dizzy.

His walk inside the hospital was a haze; all he remembered was getting to the receptionist's desk and asking for his baby brother, while Sodapop was pacing behind him. She told them that Ponyboy was still in surgery and that she didn't have any news so far, but would notify them as soon as she got news, so Darry reluctantly sat down. He had to sit Sodapop down too since his pacing was making him nervous.

"Sorry," he said once Darry told him that, but Darry knew he wasn't really sorry. Sodapop was as nervous as he was and worried, too. The middle brother had cried himself to sleep the night before and got a nightmare, something that never happened before. He didn't fall back asleep and locked himself in his room, moping all day, not eating anything.

And now, the older brothers still didn't have news about their younger brother except that he was hurt and in surgery, which unnerved the both of them, especially Darry. He had hit his baby brother, and now he was hurt from a fire. And Darry deeply blamed himself.

He buried his face in his palms, trying to keep upcoming tears at bay. One slipped and then another, but that was it. He quietly wiped them away.

"Darry?" Sodapop asked, scooting closer to his older brother, who weakly smiled at him.

"I'm okay, just worried," Darry claimed. "I'll be fine."

Sodapop nodded, but he didn't sound convinced, though he left it at that. "Want me to call the guys?"

The guys. Darry had forgotten all about them.

Darry was surprised at how well Sodapop was handling the situation so far. He should be the one wiping tears away and feeling helpless, while Darry should be the one taking charge and calling the gang.

"Yeah", Darry said. "Yeah, sure."

And so Sodapop went, while he was alone with his haunting thoughts in the waiting room.

XxX

Sodapop reached the nearest payphone and put a dime inside the slot. He dialed the DX, knowing that Steve was pulling a double shift there. "DX station, can I help you?" his best friend's voice greeted.

"Steve? It's Soda..."

"Soda! You okay? How you doing?" the young mechanic asked, kinda relieved that his friend was up. He had come to see the Curtis brothers before the shift but Sodapop had stayed in his room, quietly crying, thinking about Ponyboy, so Steve didn't get the chance to talk to him, much less see him.

"I'm at the hospital, man...It's Pony, they found him, but he's hurt..."

"Hang on, buddy, I'll close the DX early and be there in a flash."

Sodapop slightly smiled, even though Steve couldn't see. "Thanks, Steve. Mind getting Two-Bit and Dally too?"

"'Course," Steve instantly said, and Sodapop once again sighed in relief.

"Thanks, buddy. I gotta go, man, I don't want to miss any news on Pony. See y'all in a bit."

"See you, bud." Steve hung up, and Sodapop did, walking back to the waiting room to join Darry.

"Well?" Darry asked.

Sodapop shrugged. "Steve's getting the guys and they're coming." The blood drained from Darry's face. "What is it?" he asked, confused.

"How are we gonna tell Dally about Johnny's arrest?" Darry asked, and Sodapop froze. _Oh, hell,_ Sodapop thought_, if Dally learned about it..._

"I have no idea, Dar," he said, barely above a whisper, "but he sure ain't gonna be happy about it."

They both heard footsteps thundering in the hallway, and turned to see the guys of the gang running their way toward them. Darry stood up, once again being the responsible leader that they all knew. "It's better if he learns it from us than from Tim. Shepard's bound to know about it already."

"He knows everyone's business," Sodapop agreed. "Alright, but you tell him. He ain't gonna deck you." Darry gave a weak smile before getting cold again, facing the guys.

Steve skidded to a stop in front of Sodapop, intentionally bumping into him. The middle brother gave him a small shove back, also giving him a small smile. Steve was his best buddy; he could make him smile anytime, whether he was worried or sad or mad. Now was no exception.

"Hey guys," Darry said. Dallas gave him a cool nod of his head; Two-Bit gave him a wide grin, resulting in Darry rolling his eyes but smiling slightly.

"Hey Superman," Steve said.

"Sit down, guys, we got news." Steve sat down next to Sodapop, slinging an arm around his shoulder to reassure his friend that Ponyboy would be okay. Dallas preferred staying up, and Two-Bit sat down in front of the older brothers, pulling a chair closer. Darry sat down on Sodapop's other side.

Before Darry could speak, Dallas finally noticed that someone was missing, and it wasn't Ponyboy. "Hey, where's Johnny?"

Sodapop hung his head low and Darry exhaled. "Dally, Johnny was arrested," he stated, without missing a beat. Dally, who was drinking a coke, spit his sip on the floor, ignoring the nurse passing by who looked at him, disgusted. Steve swore under his breath and Two-Bit paled.

"He WHAT?!" Dallas roared, looking like an enraged bull in a rodeo. The boys all knew that his anger wasn't directed toward Johnny, of course, but toward the fuzz. Johnny was the last of them Dally wanted in the cooler. _Hell_, Sodapop thought, _I would've been livid if Ponyboy would've been in Johnny's place._

"Something happened in their hideout," Sodapop said, and Dally's piercing eyes glared from Darry's to his. "Johnny said that it caught on fire and...Ponyboy was dead caught in it. We still didn't get any news on him yet..." Steve squeezed his shoulder. Sodapop glanced at him, silently thanking him. Steve slightly nodded back.

"Johnny came to the hospital and called me to tell me about it," Darry finished," and then he was arrested."

Dallas was fuming. He slammed his coke bottle on the floor and stormed off, swearing all the way. None of the gang tried to stop him, and instead they picked up glass pieces with help from the nurse.

A grouchy man, who was sitting three seats away from the group and was also looking at Dallas, raised an eyebrow. "That young man has an anger issue, does he?"

Sodapop stood up and glared at him. "He just learned his little brother was sent to prison," he snapped at the man. "How do you think he's gonna take it? By skipping in the streets and throwing petals on the sidewalk?"

This time Darry put his hand on Sodapop's shoulder and sat him down. Darry understood his anger but still frowned at him. "Don't cause a scene here, the doctor might judge you're too emotionally unstable to see Ponyboy."

Sodapop buried his head in his palm, his other hand resting on his knee. Steve patted his shoulder twice and settled down in the chair he was sitting on. The waiting room was silent once again, the only sounds heard were the distant clicking of the nurses' heels and Sodapop's rhythmical breathing.


	4. The Visits

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'm honest-to-God so sorry for not updating earlier! :(**

**My excuse: As I said before on chapter 1 and 3, I wrote my story on my Ipad notes, so I knew I made a couple of mistakes in my other chapters (which I corrected), but I was about to copy-paste my text in this document when instead of pressing "copy", I pressed "cut", and I lost EVERYTHING in this chapter! I rewrote it once or twice but it didn't sound as perfect as before, so I was depressed!**

**Here are my answers to my reviews (which I highly appreciate):**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Dallas being Dallas...He's unpredictable! Read to find out what he does. ;)**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you! I was worried they didn't sound worried enough...I guess you proved me wrong! And no problem with the shout outs, you deserve it! **

**TheOrangeHokageOfTheLeaf:**** I would NEVER let Pony die! :o I love him too much to kill him! But...I CAN leave him wounded...read to find out! :P**

**Goldenthorns:**** Read to find out right now! ;)**

**guest ch3:**** Thank you!**

**Guest:**** Thank you!**

**Now, I found the time to post this chapter. As I said above, it isn't 100% as right as it was before...I DO hope that the wait was worth it! And thank you so much for the reviews! Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

He had no idea how he did it, but when he looked up, he found himself standing in front of the police station, fists jammed in his pockets, scowling. The walk from the hospital to the station was a haze; he only remembered hoods glaring at him as he passed by. Their typical way to say hi. And he remembered glaring daggers back at them.

He made his way to the door and threw it open, slamming it shut behind him. He wanted to be heard, to show that he was there, and that he was pissed.

And heard he was.

The cops stopped whatever chit-chat they were doing and put down their coffee mugs to glare at the hood.

One stepped forward, and Dallas found himself face to face with the chief, Bruce. "Winston. What a surprise."

Another cop stood up. He was called Dodge since he owned a 1966 Dodge Rambler, and also because he was the fastest cop in the squad. "We were just about to haul you in. Guess we won't need to."

Dallas sneered. "You wouldn't have needed to, anyway. You know damn well that I have nothing to do with the murder."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "How else would've you known we were talking about that case?"

"You haul me in for every crime. How else wouldn't I?"

"Maybe you're right, but we suspect you've been involved, directly or not," Bruce declared.

"And what if I tell you no?"

"Then we'll have to find out, won't we?" Dallas glared at Bruce, but Bruce glared back, unfazed. He nodded at the remaining two cops, and they left the room. Bruce turned back at Dallas and gave him a chair to sit down. Dallas, of course, didn't comply.

"I didn't come here for a fucking interview," he snapped. "I came here to know who the fuck arrested Johnny!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "That would be Peter, the softie. Why, you gonna kill him?"

Dallas laughed bitterly. "Have a little faith in me, Bruce." Said cop rolled his eyes before the door opened. Dallas immediately glared at the sight he saw.

The two cops from earlier were back, each holding Johnny Cade's arms, the boy's hands cuffed in front of him. He was looking down, but Dallas could tell he had bags under his eyes and was paler than normal. Of course, having darker skin, it would be less noticeable, but Dallas Winston noticed everything about Johnny Cade, whom he cared for more than he himself thought.

"Johnny," he said, trying to sound gruff and uncaring, but his voice came out softer than intended. Johnny snapped his head up.

"Dally?" the boy croaked, sounding amazingly tired. Dally fought hard not to wince at how only a couple of hours in jail had drained the dark-skinned boy. He wouldn't want to see what years would do to him.

The cops sat Johnny down on a chair in front of Dallas', and the hood reluctantly sat down as well.

"Alright, we have a few questions," Bruce started."What happened the night of the murder?"

Johnny shook his head. "I-I don't wanna talk about it," he softly said.

Bruce sighed. Hoods always were hard to question, and most of time weren't honest. Peter had however told him about the Cade kid, claiming he and his friend Ponyboy weren't hoods. He gave Peter the day off to question Johnny Cade himself. "You're gonna have to toughen up, kid. Get you prepared for court. They're not gonna go half as easy with you as I am right now."

Johnny reluctantly launched himself in an explanation on how they found themselves at the park at two in the morning, leaving out the fact that they did so because Darry had hit Ponyboy. He also explained why the Socs had been mad at them. Simply put, he explained everything from the Drive In to his arrest.

"When arrested, you were searched and our police officer found a gun tucked in your waistband. Now we know that the murder weapon was a switchblade, also found in your back pocket with dried blood on it, obviously wiped. In what was the gun useful? Did Dallas give it to you? Be honest, boy."

Dallas was about to say yes when Johnny flat out denied it. "No, I took it from him the night before. Pony had been walking by his lonesome and had been jumped by Socs—not the same group—and I was afraid that the same would happen to me, as it had months before. I wanted defense and it was the only way I could think of. So I hung out with Dally after having helped Ponyboy and I took his gun without him noticing. It ain't loaded anyway; it was just to bluff."

Dallas glared at him while the cop looked at him, unimpressed. "How come didn't you use the gun to get them to let go of your friend, instead of stabbing the Sheldon kid?"

Now Johnny glared at Bruce, and it was the first glare that Dallas had ever seen. "Alcohol gives one false courage, or didn't you learn that before? Eventually they would've guessed I was only bluffing, and they would've drowned Pony, and then would've beaten me up. Plus, I didn't think about the gun at the time; I acted on impulse, and I took out my switchblade and stabbed him. I-I never meant to, he was drowning Pony and..."

"So you killed him out of self-defense?" Bruce interrupted. Johnny was about to talk but Bruce interrupted him again. "Or did you kill him to get revenge on the jumping you had months before? Face it, son; the court could see it as revenge and you'll get the electric chair without a doubt."

Dallas jumped up and grabbed Bruce by the collar. "You son-of-a-bitch! Johnny ain't like that and never will be! Are you trying to help him or fuck with his mind?!"

The two cops pulled the tow-headed hood back to his chair and cuffed one hand to it. They all knew it wouldn't stop him, but still, Dallas stayed still, growling like a guard dog on duty.

Bruce readjusted his collar and glared at Dallas. "Alright then, last question, and if we gotta bring the truth device in then we will. What really happened the night of the murder?" He looked at Johnny once again.

Johnny fumed and stood up. The two cops walked in front of him, preventing him from taking one step toward Bruce, but he didn't move, just glared. "I already told you! He was drowning my best friend and I goddamn killed him! If it would've been the opposite, you wouldn't even be asking him the same questions over and over, you'd probably thank him for getting rid of another greaser and then his parents would bail him out!"

"Don't you realise how wrong you are? The hoods aren't the menace to society, the Socs are! They jump greasers and have bash parties and commit crimes and get away with it! We can't even walk down the street without being looked at wrong! Just because of what? Our clothes? The fact that some of us _steal_ in order to _survive_? Money? Well, money doesn't rule the world and it never should!"

Johnny breathed heavily before quietly sitting back down. The dark-skinned boy had never talked much, and now he had shouted a speech. He shouted what he had locked into his heart and mind for so long.

Dallas was glad that the kid has screamed to the cops how unfair the world was for greasers and hoods, but at the same time he was shocked. Johnny Cade was becoming like him; gruff, cold and bitter, hating the whole word.

And that scared the almighty hell out of Dallas Winston.

XxX

Sodapop's knee was bouncing up and down at a rather fast pace, resulting in Darry and Steve glancing at him every five seconds or so.

"Soda, stop that, you're making me nervous," Darry softly said, chuckling half-heartedly to lighten the mood, in vain. Sodapop stopped for about a minute before starting again.

It had been three long hours of wait. It was now ten thirty in the evening and no one in the gang had moved much except Two-Bit, who had gotten the gang something to eat, and Darry, who had to sign paperwork for Ponyboy.

"Soda," Darry gently scolded, "you haven't eaten an ounce of food since last night. Try to at least taste your muffin." Sodapop glanced at him and nodded, fumbling with the paper wrap on his chocolate chip muffin and munching on the base. "And stop it with that jumping knee, you're making us crazy." Sodapop glared but it wasn't near as threatening as normal. He just looked tired. Still, he did as Darry told him to do, not feeling up for an argument.

"Darrel Curtis?"

The doctor's voice snapped both Darry and Sodapop's heads up, and they stood up, facing the man in white. Two-bit and Steve stood up behind them, keeping a reasonable distance.

"Doctor Carl Ross, doctor in charge of Ponyboy's surgery."

Darry shook his hand. "Darrel Curtis, Ponyboy's oldest brother and legal guardian." Ross smiled warmly and looked at Sodapop. "You must be the middle brother, Sodapop. Ponyboy strikingly looks like you."

Sodapop smiled, although half-heartedly. "Is he okay?" Darry frowned at him, wordlessly telling him to mind his manners. However, he couldn't blame Sodapop; if Sodapop hadn't asked the question, then he would've.

Ross nodded and smiled, much to the boys' relief. "He's doing relatively well. He has a cut on his back which was deep enough to stitch but nothing dangerous. The cause is still unknown; he could've done that while falling in the hole for all I know."

"Hole?" Soda asked, concerned. It already didn't sound good to him.

Ross nodded. "Yes, I talked to a firefighter and he stated that Ponyboy had fallen down in a hole deep enough so he couldn't reach his way out. A wooden hatch had blocked the hole and wooden beams had pinned it, in a way protecting him from the rest of the beams when the church caved in, but otherwise trapping him deeply under the mess."

Sodapop paled upon hearing this. It almost sounded like Ponyboy had been buried alive, which he knew was one of the boy's biggest fears. He swore under his breath, wishing he could've been there to protect his younger brother.

"When he fell down, he broke his knee, so he wasn't able to get up anyhow. His leg is covered in a cast and will be for two months, if not three, depending on how quickly he recovers."

"He has inhaled some smoke but it's nothing severe. We plugged him on the ventilator but while unconscious he proved it useless. The last thing is his arm. He has a cast on his arm from a beam falling down on it, causing the break. He will have to keep the cast on for a month and a half, and he will have to come here for a weekly check-up to look it up and see how fast his arm heals."

Darry sighed. "Thank you so much, Doctor Ross." Ross smiled. He led the group down to Ponyboy's room, but then turned to look at Two-Bit and Steve, who hadn't said a word since the doctor came.

"Now, I would only allow immediate family, but I have a feeling I can trust you boys. Can I?" Two-Bit solemnly nodded while Steve smiled an honest smile, something he only did to Sodapop and his girlfriend, Evie.

Ross opened the door to reveal a small boy in a too big hospital bed. His leg was propped up and so was his arm, both trapped in big blue casts. His eyes were closed and he was breathing lightly.

Doctor Ross watched with interest as Darry and Sodapop sat down on each side of the bed and took the boy's hands. For his left hand, Sodapop held his fingers while Darry clutched the right hand tightly in his. The brothers were strikingly close and had a very tight bond; Ross could feel their love for their baby brother radiate in the room and plainly show on their faces. The Curtis brothers certainly were an interesting bunch.

He was so focused on his thoughts that when he heard the bed creaking slightly, he was snapped out of his thoughts and he looked over. Ponyboy was twitching and Darry could feel his hand being clutched back, probably for familiarity.

Ponyboy's eyelids felt heavy, as if he had rocks keeping them closed, but with the encouragement of his brothers, he managed to open those precious greenish-gray eyes of his. Sodapop smiled at him, radiating even more love than possible. Just as he was about to greet Ponyboy, said boy interrupted him.

"Who are you?"


	5. The Memory Problem

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I found time to update this weekend after all! And thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Nice penname! Here's the update! :)**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Glad you liked it!**

**TheOrangeHokageOfTheLeaf:**** Thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter!**

**FrankElza: Thank you! I kinda forgot to warn you guys about the cliffie, I'm glad that you like it, and I'm glad that you commented about the police station scene!**

**And thank you to the rest of y'all for reading my fanfic, it's really appreciated!**

**WARNING: Shorter chapter, cliffie at the end! **

*****P.-s.: Check out Belle McGrath's new story, The Last Sunset! This author is a friend of mine and an awesome writer! She's basically the reason why I love Outsiders so much and started writing! For those of you who like OC fanfics, The Last Sunset is the perfect choice to read!**

****Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy!****

XxX

Everyone in the room stared at the boy in shock, mouth agape.

_What?_

None of them could believe it. "Pony, are you okay?" Sodapop asked, trying to sound really worried on purpose so he could be proved wrong. He really didn't have to try, but it still wasn't enough.

"W-Who are you?" Ponyboy asked again, a tear sliding down his cheek. Sodapop reached out for him to wipe it off but his younger brother shook his head and backed away. Sodapop's heart broke. The doctor muttered something inaudible.

"N-No!" Sodapop suddenly cried out, alerting the others. "Ponyboy, it's me...your brother, Sodapop! D-Don't you remember?" Tears slid down his. Ponyboy closed his eyes and then he looked back at his older brother, shaking his head again, a tear of his own making its way down his young face.

Sodapop turned at the doctor. "Why?" he cried out. "Why can't he remember us?! You didn't say anything about losing memory!"

Darry, who had been standing stiff next to him, wrapped his arms around his younger brother's shaking frame and let him cry in his chest. He rubbed his back while Sodapop's sobs rocked his body, wetting the front of Darry's shirt. Darry simply whispered for him to calm down with a soothing voice.

"Why didn't you prevent us about this?" Darry asked, his voice full of emotions: worry, sadness, but also anger, directed toward the doctor.

"Here's the thing, Darrel," Dr. Ross said, and Sodapop looked at him, still wrapped in Darry's arms, sniffing occasionally. "We checked everywhere we were told injuries were present, but the paramedics didn't say anything about any head injury, and I neither didn't see one. He most certainly didn't lose memory by hitting his head."

"Well how could he have lost it, uh?" Sodapop asked, my voice shaking. "'Cause I don't see how else he would've!" Darry rubbed his back again, and his heavy breathing slowed down a little.

"My best guess would be stress, caused by the..."

"Can we discuss this outside?" Darry hissed, glancing at Ponyboy, who looked clueless. Ross nodded, walking outside the room. Darry patted Sodapop's back one last time before letting go of his embrace and making his way out the door. Sodapop grabbed his wrist.

"No! Darry, I wanna hear this too! Pony's my brother too!" he protested. Darry wiped a tear off his face.

"I'll tell you everything, alright? It's better you hear it from me than from the doctor, anyway." Sodapop nodded. "Plus, I want you to stay with Pony, see if he'll get his memory back by talking." He nodded again and weakly smiled as Darry affectionately ruffled his hair before following the doctor.

He turned back to look at Ponyboy. He looked so lost in the hospital bed, it nearly sent Sodapop to tears once again.

Someone cleared their throat, and Sodapop then realised that Steve and Two-Bit were still there. Two-Bit looked pale and Steve was looking at Sodapop, his eyes softening. "Want us to leave and come back tomorrow, Soda?" he asked.

Sodapop didn't have to answer; his face said it all. Steve patted his shoulder and quietly left, while Two-Bit glanced at Ponyboy wordlessly and he left with a small wave of his hand.

Sodapop focused his attention back on Ponyboy, who was still looking at him. He sat down on his bed, mindful of his legs, and put his hand next to his loosely, hoping he could at least hold Ponyboy's hand even if he didn't remember him.

Ponyboy seemed to get the message, however he did, because he cautiously scooted closer and tapped Sodapop's hand with his soft finger. Sodapop turned his hand and grabbed Ponyboy's gently, smiling at him. Ponyboy didn't smile back but he ever so softly squeezed it.

"Do you remember anything at all, honey...?" Sodapop softly asked.

Ponyboy bit his lip but didn't shake his head. His eyes glazed pretty quickly and Sodapop could easily tell that he was deep in thought.

"I-I think I remember something..."

Sodapop was overjoyed. He smiled brightly. "What do you remember, baby?"

"I-I remember red...heat... Erm, I remember pain, and then darkness, and then... nothing... Silence." Sodapop's smile faded. _Oh, Hell, he remembers the fire_, Sodapop thought. _This isn't a good start._

Just then, the doctor walked back in.


	6. The Cause

**A/N: Hey guys! **

**As promised, I update today!**

**WOW! Seven reviews in one chapter, again! You guys are making this author here very happy!~3**

**Here are my replies to them:**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Glad you're glad! Hehe, thank you for enjoying my story so much!**

**sevenwise:**** Here's your answer to Darry's thoughts! ;)**

**Belle McGrath:** **I love your review girl, I understand you soo much. x) Thank you for the compliment!3**

**The Curtis Crew:**** They're my favorite brothers too! Like really, I'd die if I'd meat Rob Lowe or Tommy Howell! To me they'll always be Sodapop and Ponyboy Curtis!3 Thank you for the review, here's the update!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you! I hope you like this chapter!**

**Guest:**** Sorry! Here's the update! :P**

**Guest ****(2)****:**** Thank you!**

**Note: I'm not 100% satisphied with this chapter; I feel kinda rushed, y'know? I have a lot of exams (today I had three or four, I lost count) and I have two tomorrow I think! At least the semester ends Thursday, I'll be able to breathe a little better! I still hope you like this chapter! R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

Doctor Ross closed the door behind Darry and motioned with a nod of his head to follow him to his office. Once there, Darry sat down on the chair in front of Ross' desk and watched as Ross sat down, crossing his arms in front of him and intertwining his fingers of each hand together.

"Well, Darrel," he started, "as you have seen, Ponyboy seems to have lost his memory."

_Give the man a prize,_ Darry thought, inwardly rolling his eyes. He nodded to show that he was listening, but Darry didn't want small talk; he wanted the cause and the cure right then and there. He hated it when people beat around the bush like that all the time.

"As I was about to say before I was interrupted, it hasn't been caused by a head injury but most likely by a very stressful situation; in this case, the fire. Ponyboy doesn't remember anything due to the amount of stress he has been through. A small space and darkness are two factors that could trigger anxiety. Ponyboy has been stuck in a hole in the dark for two hours; who knows how terrified he could've been? This kind of stress can have disastrous effects on the human mind."

Darry digested the information and slowly nodded. "So you're saying that his memory loss could be long-term?" He found he had trouble pronouncing those two words. _Ponyboy can't lose his memory forever_, he thought, _he has to remember me. If he ends up scarred in any way..._

The doctor nodded. "It could be. The keyword here is _could_. However, there _is_ no telling if it could be long-term or not without running a couple of tests, which I suggest we do first thing in the morning. Right now, Ponyboy needs to rest and visiting hours are already over, so I suggest you boys get some rest home as well."

Darry nodded. He needed some rest, and Sodapop did as well.

Both men stood up and shook hands. Darry then followed Doctor Ross back to Ponyboy's room in silence.

All the nurses they passed by seemed apologetic. Darry didn't understand why they would be; they hadn't been the ones to hurt Ponyboy.

_No, they didn't hurt him, _Darry morbidly thought, _I did_. The guilt clawed at him the second Ponyboy had broke out of the house into a run. He had been the one to drive Ponyboy to the park, where Johnny had killed a Soc. He had been the one to drive the two to the church, where Ponyboy had been stuck in a fire. _Maybe he's gonna be fine physically_, Darry thought, _but mentally..._

Darry shook the thoughts out of his head. He would do anything for his baby brother, and he meant it. He had vowed he'd take care of Ponyboy since the day that his baby brother was born and he had been holding him in his six year old arms.

*Flashback*

_"Daddy! Daddy!" Sodapop had said, bouncing up and down in front of Darrel excitedly. Darry had stayed still on the chair next to his father's._

_"Yeah, Pepsi?"Darrel had tiredly answered, still smiling at Sodapop._

_"When's my baby sistah coming, uh? Uh? Uh?" the young boy had asked, grinning from ear to ear. While Sodapop had been happy to have a baby sister, Darry had been dreading it. He loved being a big brother, but twice? It had seemed like a nightmare to him._

_"Soon, Sodapop, soon," Darrel had answered, chuckling at Sodapop's excitement. Darry had tugged at his father's shirt, a little tired of waiting for his baby sister. He was not a patient child, never had been, probably never would be._

_"Daddy, why ain't you with Mama?" Darry had asked him curiously. _

_"It's 'aren't', Darry," Darrel had gently scolded. Then he had smoothed back his oldest son's hair with a loving smile. "And I need to take care of you two monkeys."_

_Darry had scowled while Soda had stopped jumping. "Hey! I'm no monkey!" he had protested and jumped straight into Darrel's lap as a "punishment". Darrel had breathed in and ruffled Sodapop's hair, who had squealed. Then he had held him tightly while letting Darry tickle him. _

_A nurse had glared at the trio but a doctor had smiled at them, too amused at the scene to stop it. Sodapop had squealed with laughter and had made older people smile. Even at three years old, he could make anyone smile._

_Then when they had calmed down, the doctor had gotten them and they had eagerly walked to Mrs. Curtis's room. She had been crying and Darry had wondered if anything had gone wrong. _

_"Oh, Linda, what's wrong? Is our little girl alright? Are _you_ okay?" Darrel had asked worriedly upon seeing his wife. She had nodded, smiling through her tears._

_"Oh Darrel, it's a baby boy!" she had said before bursting into tears once again._

_Darrel had looked shocked before his face had broken into a wide grin. Sodapop had jumped, squealing: "Cool! A baby bwoder!"_

_Darry had NOT been amused. Another baby brother? Another boy in the family?_

_Darrel had put a comforting hand on his oldest son's shoulder and had slightly pushed him toward Linda's bed. Darry had sat down on it and had held her hand tightly, while Sodapop had done the same with her other hand/_

_A nurse had walked back in, holding their baby brother in her arms, tightly wrapped in a baby blue blanket. The bundle had kept his eyes closed shut._

_At first, Linda had confused Darry when she had said she hadn't wanted to hold him, but then she had smiled at her son, wordlessly telling him to hold the small baby. Darry had gulped; he hadn't wanted to hurt him._

_"Go on, Junior." Darrel had encouraged with a grin, "you can hold him." Darry had nodded and the nurse had carefully put the bundle in his arms._

_Just then, the baby had slightly squirmed and he had opened his eyes, looking straight at Darry. His eyes had been bright green._

_And then he had done something that had truly warmed Darry's heart. The baby had smiled right at him. _

_Sodapop had jumped off the bed and had sat down next to his older brother. "He wooks so cute!" he had exclaimed in his three year old voice. "He wooks like a wittle baby pony!"_

_Darrel had grinned at Linda, who had grinned back. "Pony...boy. Ponyboy. That's how we're gonna name him!"_

_Sodapop had squealed. "Oh boy! He gets a cool name like mine!" Darry had smiled too. _Ponyboy_._

_Darry had kissed his forehead, vowing right then and there that he would protect Ponyboy Curtis all his life._

*End of flashback*

Darry had vowed to protect Ponyboy and he thought he had failed. He felt bad, like all those times he had disappointed his parents. He felt like he disappointed them both again, like they were watching and disapproving his mistake. Hitting Pony was the biggest mistake of his entire life; he knew it would keep him awake at night about it until the day he would die.

Doctor Ross opened the door to Ponyboy's room and walked in. Sodapop's head snapped up, looking worriedly at his older brother. Darry didn't say anything, so Sodapop simply nodded and squeezed Ponyboy's hand. The young boy looked lost in the bed; so lost it nearly broke Darry's heart in two pieces. _One for him and one for me_, he thought dully.

"Ponyboy," the doctor said, and Ponyboy's head snapped up. "Did you remember anything while we were gone?"

The boy reluctantly nodded. "I-I remember red...heat... Erm, I remember pain, and then darkness, and then... nothing... Silence." Darry noticed that Sodapop's face paled. Either Ponyboy had told him, or he was shocked that his younger brother remembered the fire beforehand. Ponyboy didn't seem to know what exactly he _had_ remembered, and no one want to tell him, which was understandable.

"Well, that's a good start, kiddo." Ross smiled at Ponyboy. The boy didn't smile, just stared. "I suggest right now we let you sleep since it's getting late." Ponyboy nodded, yawning as if proving Ross' point. "Tomorrow morning I'm going to run a couple of tests with your head to check what caused your memory loss, alright, kiddo?" Ponyboy nodded again, this time more warily.

Sodapop frowned. "Can't we stay here with him tonight? I mean, he could remember something else, and we should be here if he does." Darry had to give it to his younger brother; he could be as stubborn as Ponyboy. Then again, Darry was also stubborn, and he knew it. He thought that maybe it was a gene in their family.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, you're correct, but we'll have nurses checking him every two hours or so for any possible sign. It's most unlikely that Ponyboy gets his memory back in less than one day."

Darry pursed his lips and squeezed Sodapop's shoulder. "He's right, Little Buddy. There's nothing we can do here anymore. Just let the doctor and nurses take care of Ponyboy for one night, and then we'll spend the day tomorrow with him, alright?"

Sodapop nodded, and Darry noticed that he looked tired. _Poor Soda_, he thought. He hadn't slept at all the previous night, worried for his missing younger brother.

Darry realised then that Sodapop needed Ponyboy just as much as Ponyboy needed Sodapop. Ponyboy needed Sodapop to chase his nightmares away, and Sodapop needed Ponyboy for strength; having Ponyboy by his side made him feel strong, like he could protect him from everything. Darry realised then that their bond ran deeper than he thought, that they were closer than brothers ever could be.

He sighed. Darry wished he could be closer to his youngest brother. He didn't have any problems with Sodapop; Sodapop he could easily handle. But Ponyboy...the both of them were stubborn and it was hard to act like a parent when they were only six years apart in age. Darry wished he could find a way to repair that.

And now Ponyboy had lost his memory and he didn't even remember Darry, or anyone else. Darry hung his head low and ushered Sodapop out of the room, regretfully leaving Ponyboy behind once again.


	7. The Call

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'm sorry about the late update. I've had a few things to clear, but now that it's done, I'm back for another chapter!**

**I'm a little sad that I only got two reviews for the last chapter. I thought some of you had more things to say about it. :/ Anyway, here are my replies:**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you sooo much for the review, you're like one of my favorite reviewers, I LOVE it when you point out precisely what you liked! I'm also glad you commented about the flashback. Thank you!**

**BunnyluvsU:**** Here's the next chapter! Thank you for reviewing!**

*****IMPORTANT: I know I'm taking a huge risk writing this fanfic with all the medical knowledge in it. I have no medical knowledge whatsoever and what I write in my fanfic is information based on research. I'm doing a lot of hard work to make this fanfic realistic. If some readers DO have medical knowledge, please don't be shy to tell me if something doesn't make the least sense. I'm trying real hard though and hopefully I know what I'm doing, so no flames or hurtful comments, please. I didn't get one so far and I'd like to keep it this way. I accept constructice critism though.**

**Now, readers, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

I officially hate it here. I mean, who doesn't?

Well, I remind myself, some hoods don't. They like it better here than home; at least they have meals for free and a place to sleep.

But me, I have the Curtis house. I have the lot to sleep in. I have Two-Bit's house. I have Buck's in case I go there with Dally. Here I have no one and nothing but the same room and the same bed.

I officially hate prison.

I can't sleep on this bed and people already started harassing me. I actually like being in a secluded cell; I'm not bothered by anyone outside of dinner time and showers and everything. But sometimes I wished I could have company. I don't care if I sound selfish, but I want Dally to get in trouble just so he could be with me. I'd feel safer.

He wasn't too happy yesterday when he left. I thought I saw worry and disbelief in his eyes when he looked at me before leaving the station. I had been brought back in my cell to get some sleep, but I couldn't find any.

I don't know what time it is, but it's pretty early in the morning, that I can tell. I'm tossing and turning, and I just can't close my eyes and find sleep. Time sure slows down in the cooler. I'm bored.

Something pops in my head and I slowly make my way to the bars where the guard is. I tap him on his shoulder, careful not to wake him up harshly.

"Eh...?" he mumbles, then turns to me. He shoves my arm back inside the cell since it was still outstretched for me to tap him.

"Thought you could get away, eh..." he mutters. I shake my head in disbelief. "No? Then what the hell do you want?"

"I want paper and a pen, please, sir," I ask as politely as I could. It pisses me off that he thought I would escape and judge me.

He cusses under his breath and gives me his notebook and a pen. "Write what you want and hurry up. It's the middle of the night; I don't see why you wanna write anything."

"Well I can't goddamn sleep and I wanna write a letter to my friend," I snap. "Is that too much to ask for?" He cusses again and sits down on his chair without a word. I write my letter as fast as I can and reluctantly give it back to the guard, who's still looking a bit pissed at me. He snatches it from my hand and calls another cop to get it and send it to Pony's house. I hope he'll see it when he gets back from the hospital, or I hope Darry or Soda will see it and give it to him.

I lie back down on the bed, and I'm surprised to feel droopy all of a sudden. I close my eyes and finally fall into a restless sleep.

XxX

Darry woke up to the sound of something shrill and loud. He looked at the clock; it read four in the morning. He briefly wondered if it was Ponyboy's scream, but then he remembered that Ponyboy was in the hospital.

The hospital, Darry gulped._ I should be with him right now_, he thought.

He hurried out of bed only to find Sodapop in the hall, talking on the phone. The phone must've been ringing, and that was the shrill sound he had heard.

"Oh uh...he's right there," Sodapop said, then gave the phone to Darry, without looking him in the eye.

"Hello?" Darry said, wondering who it could be.

"Hello, Darrel. This is Doctor Ross on the phone." _Oh, hell. Ponyboy._

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, fearing the worst.

"Ponyboy was having a nightmare; he was screaming in his sleep." _Aah, shit,_ Darry thought. "I would like you to come here as fast as you can."

"I'm on my way.

XxX

"You see, right now Ponyboy is showing signs of being into a sort of post-traumatic stress disorder," Ross explained when Darry and Sodapop arrived. "Usually, the PTSD is developed after a traumatic experience. A fire wouldn't terrify most of people; it would mostly leave them shaken. But it seems to have left Ponyboy more than just a little shaken, and usually the traumatic event replays itself in the victim's mind by either flashbacks or nightmares."

"It's a little like soldiers, isn't it?" Darry asked.

"Yes," Ross answered, "exactly. And my best guess is that Ponyboy's nightmare was about the fire; the events replaying themselves in his already confused mind. Now; has Ponyboy had nightmares even before this event?"

Darry was dreading this question. "Yes, after our parents died, about eight months ago," he answered. "He would wake up screaming bloody-murder, and we would rush in his room to wake him up."

"Our brother Sodapop," at this, Sodapop perked up, "decided to sleep with him to ease his nightmares. We also asked a neurological specialist for help when they didn't stop, and he told Ponyboy to exercise more, to tire himself out so he would be too exhausted to dream. Occasionally he would still have nightmares but they weren't half as bad and wouldn't happen half as much."

"Has he once tried to use sleep deprivation to get rid of this problem?" Ross asked.

"No," Darry answered, too fast for his liking. "No, no he hasn't," he repeated more slowly. "He's been sleeping fine since his nightmares stopped recurring as much as they did." At Ross' lack of answer, Darry asked, "Why? Does it have to do anything with his memory loss?"

"Sometimes sleep deprivation does," Ross confirmed. "Fortunately, since Ponyboy hasn't done that lately, his memory loss won't be affected more." Darry breathed in relief, glad that there wasn't another problem added.

Still, he was curious. "Why did you make me come here? Now don't get me wrong—I know it's important, and I'm glad I was told that my baby brother had another nightmare." Something dawned on him right then. "Is there something I can do to help him?"

"Well, yes," Ross answered, sounding desperate. "Many nurses are trying to inject an IV in Ponyboy's arm to help him relieve his stress and make him sleep right as we speak, but he isn't cooperating. I was hoping that with both you and Sodapop, he would calm down and get some rest. Now I know that he still doesn't remember the two of you, but maybe that would help better."

Darry sighed. "With all due respect, sir, I don't think he's going to _want _to fall back asleep. If anything, he's just gonna be more tired when you do the tests for his diagnosis."

There was a silence, and then, "Are you suggesting that perhaps we do the tests right now?"

Darry pondered the idea in his head. "No, I wasn't suggesting that, but now that you mention it, I think it would be better."

"Alright, then," Ross agreed. "We'll get everything ready for the tests. Can you still try to calm him down? He was shaking like a leaf and wouldn't let any nurse approach him after my call."

Darry ran a hand through his messed up hair with worry. "Yeah, we can try."

"Alright, thank you Darrel." Both men shook hands again, and Ross led the older brothers to Ponyboy's room.

When the trio got there, two nurses were trying to inject an IV into Ponyboy, but he had his head buried in his arms, hugging his uninjured knee which was pulled to his chest. He was visibly shaking and the brothers could hear him sniffle.

"G-Get away...please..." Ponyboy whimpered. Darry cringed at how young his baby brother sounded. He sounded like a scared toddler, not like the fourteen year old kid that Darry was used to.

"Ponyboy," he said, surprised at how soft his voice sounded. Ponyboy's shaking seemed to cease as he glanced at Darry. Sodapop had already made his way to Ponyboy's bed. He hugged him carefully. Ponyboy flinched back but he didn't completely pull away from the hug.

"Shhh, it's gonna be alright, honey," Sodapop soothed, rubbing Ponyboy's back slowly. Ponyboy seemed to stop shaking but he didn't uncurl himself from his position. Darry could tell it hurt Sodapop's feelings. "Calm down, baby, you're gonna be just fine."

The nurses backed away, seeing as how Ponyboy was calm and they didn't want to scare him again. Ross told them to get out of the room and get the test room ready for him. One of the nurses bit her lip but nonetheless followed the others out the room. Ross advanced toward the two younger brothers.

"Ponyboy," he said, and Ponyboy looked up at him. He didn't start crying or panic, so Darry guessed that Ross spent a lot of time with him to ease him up and at least let him see a familiar face. "Are you ready for a couple of tests?"

"W-What kind of tests?" he asked.

"We're gonna see why you don't have your memory and why you had that nasty nightmare. How does that sound?"

To Darry, it sounded like Ross was talking to a small child, but that didn't seem to faze Ponyboy. If anything, it also calmed him down, soothed him even.

Ponyboy nodded and got up with Sodapop's help just as a nurse wheeled in a wheelchair. He paused, not wanting to go too close to the nurse. "Uh...do you want me to wheel you, Ponyboy?" Darry asked.

Ponyboy looked up at him and nodded, settling in the wheelchair with Sodapop's help. Darry grabbed the two handles and carefully made his way to the test room where two nurses were. Ross followed them in, and then he put a hand on Darry's shoulder. "You're gonna have to wait in the waiting room while we perform the tests, Darrel. Ponyboy is going to be fine."

Darry wordlessly nodded and then pulled Sodapop with him in the waiting room. Sodapop sat down on the chair next to him, while he picked one of the magazines out of habit, thinking it was the newspaper. He stared at it and read it, but all he could make out were blurry words. He could only pick bits and pieces of the paragraphs, which were about health and other medical advice.

He felt something hit his shoulder and he glanced to his left, where Sodapop had sat down. He had fallen asleep, his head on Darry's shoulder. Darry slowly shifted and wrapped his arm around Sodapop, pulling him closer, his head now resting on his big brother's chest. Darry put the magazine back in its place and with his other hand, ran his hand gently in Sodapop's hair, which he hadn't bothered to grease. It fell down on his forehead in soft locks and Darry smiled.

The young man glanced at the clock and noticed that it was now four thirty in the morning. He yawned, as if the yawn proved that it was way too early for him to be awake. He closed his eyes, planning to rest only, but soon fell asleep.

XxX

**A/N: Please check out my new one-shot, Forever My Brother! It would mean a lot!**


	8. The Shepards

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Wellup, I'm in a relatively good mood. I got six days rest at home because I had a fever, but it's getting better! I still can't talk too long or my voice scratches and comes out shitty, but otherwise I'm okay. I can still write chapters! ;)**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are the replies:**

**whirlwind29:**** Thank you! :)**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Alright, alright, here it is!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Thank you, glad you did. :)**

**FrankElza:**** Ohmergersh, I really love you right now. Your review almost made me cry, them feelz though! I felt like I didn't have enough effort put or if Ponyboy was TOO traumatised by the fire or if his brothers were TOO worried (but I should know that you can never worry too much, especially the older Curtis brothers) but you tell me everytime that it's just the perfect amount, so thank you so much!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** I'm really jealous of your penname, like no I am in denial. If you're Pony's girlfriend, then you _share_, girl! :P Anyway, thank you for the review!**

***Okay, so some of you might think that I write the story just for reviews. Sure, reviews are fun, and I know that I always complain that I don't have enough or that I need five or more per chapter, and it isn't always easy to comply to, but it really isn't for that reason that I write this story. **

****I turned sixteen a few months ago and back at our school, not much people are accepting of Fanfiction, much less of me (I'm not hated but not popular either, but I don't care) and if some people were to know that I _write_ fanfiction about the Outsiders, I would get judged, and I don't want a repeat of elementary school (we don't have middle school but if he would've, than "it" would've happened in middle school), so I keep my writing a secret. However, a smart girl figured it out and now we've basically became best friends, finding out that we have much more than Outsiders in common but this is our strongest interest!**

*****And that girl is Belle McGrath, a fellow writer on this website, and I thank her so much for the support she gives me for this story and the help she gives me, just like I thank all of you!**

******But anyway, the reason I write this story is that I want to be a writer later on, and even though I do get compliments from friends and family and teachers, I yearn for more, and this website is a huge start for me. I really appreciate you guys for all the compliments I get, it boosts my mood up and I like knowing that my story is good!**

**Now, hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. It's not about the Curtis brothers (sorry, The Curtis Crew!) but about our favorite hood AND for those of you who like the Shepard's, well, you're gonna hear about them! Now I WARN you, I'm not good with writing toughness and I'm not sure if there's enough in this chapter; it's for you to tell me, WITHOUT RUDE COMMENTS, thank you. I honestly think that they're a little OOC. You'll see, and if you don't like it, then deal it it. ;-* Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

Dallas groaned as sunlight made its way through the window –half-hidden with old, torn blankets—to his closed eyes. He slung an arm over his eyes to protect them from the blinding, early morning light, staying in this position for a minute or two before turning on his side, his back against the window, satisfied with the new position.

He tried finding peaceful sleep for the second time that morning, but a knock at his bedroom door jarred him out of it as quickly as he found it. He growled, wondering who in the blue blazes would bother him in the morning.

"Whaddaya want," he slurred, venom laced in his voice.

His door opened to reveal Tim Shepard leading in a beaten Curly and a frightened Angela. "What the hell," he murmured, watching as Tim dropped Curly on Dally's bed, making Dally roll away, now facing the window, blinding him.

He groaned again, deciding that he wouldn't be left alone to sleep, so he grabbed the nearest shirt he found and put it on. It was a plain white t-shirt with a mud stain on the front, but it would do.

"What's going on?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. However, in his sleepy state, he didn't acknowledge it.

"Curly got jumped," Tim gruffly answered, taking Curly's shirt off to treat the cuts and bruises. One cut on his chest, deep enough to get stitched, and two bruised ribs. "They were about to take Angel with 'em 'for a little fun', and Curly just happened to stroll by and try to play hero."

He leaned over Angela, who was treating Curly's cut on his forehead, and flipped his ear. "Stupid kid," he muttered under his breath. Angela kept her mouth shut—for once—and taped gauze on Curly's cut.

The boy hissed when Tim poured rubbing alcohol on his deep cut and aimed a punch at his brother's own chest, but Angela caught his arm. "He's takin' care of you; stop being an idiot," she snapped. Curly grumbled but stayed still while Tim stitched his cut, trying as hard as he could not to show pain.

Dallas, who had gotten up to leave the Shepard's to take care of one of their own, chuckled at the boy's face. Curly was like a Tim in miniature; not as tough or as strong, he had yet to learn, but he was tough enough.

Ponyboy would never get tough like him, Dallas thought. He wondered if it was a good or a bad thing. Ponyboy, even at fourteen years old, was still an innocent boy who was a little babied by his brothers and always had his head in the clouds. Of course, for a greaser, that wasn't good. If you get tough, you don't get hurt. If you're tough, nothing can touch you. Dallas had learned that at a young age, and he thought that Ponyboy should learn to toughen up too.

But on the other side, Ponyboy was their gang's hope. Dallas didn't consider himself a member of the Curtis gang, nor a member of Shepard's outfit. But he always had a sweet spot for Johnny, and now for Ponyboy, even though he'd never admit it. And having a greaser like Ponyboy was like having hope for the future. Hope that Dallas didn't have but needed, whether he liked to admit it or not.

He made his way out of the room, shaking the thoughts out of his head. Having thought of the kid made him think of how Ponyboy had come close to dying twice in a day.

_Well_, he thought, _Ponyboy has his own toughness._

_Thinking of whom_, he told himself, _I should go see how he is._

XxX

He strolled down the streets, a frown on his elfish face, blue icy eyes glaring at anyone in his way, a purple-ish skin tone surrounding the left one and a cut under the other.

He slammed the Shepard's front door open and closed shut, cussing all the way to the kitchen where the oldest was.

"Damn Socs," he growled. "They're all over town, man. Goddamn sons-of-bitches."

"Don't I know it," Tim muttered, cussing under his breath. "They jump you too?"

"What do you think?" he sarcastically answered. Tim rolled his eyes. "'Cause it sure looks like it."

"Smart-ass," Tim said, staring at Dally's black eye. He had nothing otherwise. "Didja beat 'em up good?"

"Oh, real good," Dallas answered, proud to brag about his fight. "Got one where the sun don't shine and the other under the shin." Tim rolled his eyes but smirked. "You don't mess with Dallas Winston, man."

"Whatever," Tim said, still smirking. Dallas raised an eyebrow but before he could say another smart-ass comment, Curly came strolling in the room, catching the attention of both older boys.

"Hey Tim, hey Dal," he said, then sat down on one of the chairs.

"What do you want, kid?" Tim asked gruffly.

"Jennings' supposed to come by later, you mind if I go with him?" he asked his older brother. Dallas raised an eyebrow while Tim scoffed.

"You never bothered to ask me before, why start now?"

"Well I don't trust Jennings much and I don't wanna get jumped again if he doesn't show up," Curly answered, as if it was obvious.

"Well, you're a hood and hoods gets jumped," Tim stated matter-of-factly, "so deal with it."

Curly huffed. "Fine, s'not like you fucking care anyway," he said, and he was out the door before both older hoods could blink. Darry chuckled at the annoyed expression on Tim's face.

"Kid's got an attitude I tell ya," he said.

"I save his sorry ass and he cusses at me," Tim swore, but he didn't mind. His brother wouldn't be Curly Shepard if he didn't cuss at him a little. Of course, having Curly yell that Tim didn't care for him did sting; he cared more than their parents ever will. But that was how it always was in the Shepard house, and they all dealed with it, one way or another.

"Kid should know not to go out alone again, these Socs are goin' at it like crazy," Dallas bitterly growled. Tim nodded with a scowl on his face.

"Don't I know it," he said just as bitterly. "They've been cruisin' our neighborhood, jumping all the greasers and hoods they can find. Ever since the quiet kid killed one of 'em, they've gone berserk, man. We gotta watch our backs."

"Yeah well they better watch theirs," Dallas stated. "I feel a rumble brewing. It's coming soon; I feel it in my bones." Tim purposely ignored Dallas' pun, nodding seriously. Oh, a rumble would come, alright.

And the Socs better watch out.


	9. The News

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Ok first off, I'll try to make it brief, but you guys know me by now; my A/N's are always long.**

**First of all, I'm sorry for the late updates. I just started my new semester and I have more theater rehearsals, so my time on Fanfiction is limited.**

**But, thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove:**** Sorry for the slow update. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** Your review made me laugh! Sadly he is, but "that don't bother me none"! :P Hope you like this chapter.**

**jcksaavedra:**** Thank you so much! I hope you like this one!**

**BunnyluvsU:**** YAAASSSS! :D Thank you!**

**FrankElza:**** I thought your review for chapter 7 made me cry but chapter 8 was worse! Thank you so much, it means a lot for me to know that someone can relate to me! Makes me know that we're not alone in the world even if we think we are. Oh, and you have nothing to apologize for, I don't care how long the reviews are, they're all extremely important to me! Thank you tons!**

**darrylover4ever ****(chapter 1)****:**** Thank you for the review!**

**Guest ****(2)****:**** Wow, thank you! It means a lot for me to get feedback on my future career. I honestly don't see myself as an actual author since if you don't write good books, it doesn't pay off and it seems to me like it's something you can't do as a living, but I'm glad you told me that you would see me as that!**

**So, this is it. Now, the last thing I need to tell you is that this chapter is full of medical stuff again so pardon me once again if anything at all sounds wrong or non-realistic! Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

"...wake up, Soda..."

"Leave m'alone, Dar..."

A chuckle. "Wake up, Little Buddy."

Sodapop blinked a few times, squinting at first with the harsh, bright light, but then slowly getting used to it. He stretched, relieving his sore muscles, bumping his hand straight on Darry's chin. He looked up, finding his head on his older brother's lap with Darry's hand around his shoulder and the other one stroking his hair. "The doctor's here," Darry quietly said.

Sodapop jumped off of Darry's lap, and, sure enough, the doctor was standing right in front of them.

Sodapop was eager to hear the news, but at the same time...not. If Ponyboy didn't turn out okay...

"Well, we got the news," Dr. Ross grimly said, "and I must say, they're not really good."

Sodapop's breath caught in his throat. "Whaddaya mean, 'not really good'?" he fearfully asked. "Shouldn't he be doing fine by now? Didn't you tell us he wouldn't lose his memory permanently?"

"Shhh, calm down," Darry said, squeezing Sodapop's shoulder reassuringly. "Let Dr. Ross speak."

Darry nodded at Dr. Ross, wordlessly telling him to go on. "The tests have shown exactly what I didn't want it to show. Your brother suffers from psychogenic amnesia."

Sodapop blinked. "Psycho-what now?"

"Psychogenic amnesia," Dr. Ross repeated. "It's a result of severe stress, which your little brother experienced. There are two types of psychogenic amnesia; global and situation-specific. The latter is the one your brother has, which brought him to suffer from post-traumatic sense disorder, PTSD for short. I explained it earlier to you this morning, but to put it briefly, in the next few days he could experience flashbacks and he could replay the situation in his nightmares."

"What's the cure of it?" Darry professionally asked. Sodapop listened, not able to stutter a word.

"Well," Dr. Ross started, "it would be best to bring him home. He's most likely to recover his full memory if he spends time in familiar places and with familiar people. I strongly advise to be patient with him; psychogenic amnesia could last for hours, days, weeks, even months, although _that_ is very rare. And you have to be careful not to let him near a flame or even _see_ one; that could trigger severe flashbacks and his memory loss could get worse."

"If he sees a flame, won't he remember the fire?" Sodapop asked. "Then won't he recover his memory?"

"That's the deal," Dr. Ross sighed. "If he remembers the fire before anything else, then he will get scared and repress his other memories. Psychogenic amnesia also refers to repressed memory syndrome. The victim unconsciously pushes memories of the situation far away in his/her mind, but my hypothesis is that Ponyboy might repress his other memories and not remember anything in his life in years from now."

"Well, what CAN we do?" Sodapop asked, getting impatient. This time, Darry didn't scold him; in fact, he seemed lost in thought, probably thinking the situation over.

"My best solution is; come back here during noon to pick Ponyboy up and bring him back home. Keep him away from fire as much as you can; even the smell of smoke could trigger memories of the fire at the church. Try not to keep him in darkness too long; he might become claustrophobic since he was stuck in a hole for two hours in the dark, unable to get up and hopeless. In due time, if you follow these instructions, he might recover his memory bit by bit."

"A-Alright, thank you, Doctor," Darry said, shaking Ross' hand. Sodapop couldn't do the same; he was frozen in his spot. He wouldn't want anything bad to happen in his baby brother's mind more than it already had, and the doctor pretty much told them that the chances were 50, 50, even if he hadn't voiced it.

"C'mon Pepsi, let's go home," Darry soothingly whispered, ushering Sodapop along to the car where it would lead him to yet another restless, sleepless night,

XxX

Sodapop's prediction came half true.

He slept, but not enough so that he was actually rested. He was anxious and Darry felt it; the oldest brother was probably just as anxious as his younger brother.

When Sodapop fully woke up, He looked at his alarm clock and read eleven o'clock. He let out a yawn, still not completely rested, but nonetheless got out of bed and into the kitchen, where Darry was sitting on the counter, a mug of coffee resting in front of him.

"Hey, Soda," he tiredly greeted. In his state, he reminded Sodapop of Darry's teenage years; in the rare mornings that he would sleep in, and would wake up sounding tired. Then, Ponyboy and Sodapop would throw themselves at Darry to wake him up and he would wrestle his younger brothers and tickle them. It always ended up being Ponyboy on the ground, laughing with tears in his eyes as Darry held him and Sodapop tickled his soles.

Sodapop missed those times.

Somehow, Darry read his mind. He sat down next to his younger brother and pulled him into a one-arm hug. "You're missing him, uh?" Darry softly asked.

Sodapop nodded. He wanted the old Ponyboy back. The kid he was before Darry hit him, before all this mess happened. The Ponyboy he knew before he lost part of his innocence, that night. Because now, there was a chance that Ponyboy could never remember those memories he used to cherish just as much as Sodapop did, and even if he would remember anything, he would never be the same.


	10. The Return

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**WOW! Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm now up to more than half a hundred and I'm really happy! I'm also happy that you guys understand the fact that I'm a little busy. I swear I'm trying hard to update as fast as I can!**

**To reply to my reviews:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** Only in 7th grade? *~le gasp* I wish I coulda read the Outsiders back then! I read it last year in 10th grade...I'm very thankful though! And you'll have plenty of time to write your own fanfics! Hopefully in a few years from now I'll read a popular fanfic and it will be written by you! ;) And I'm thankful for your review, too! Thank you!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Thank you!**

**Jessieklove:**** Here's your update, hope you enjoy!**

**FrankElza:**** The feedback is honestly no problem, thank you so much for reviewing in EVERY chapter too, it's real nice of you! :)**

**ArisNightfall14 (2):**** Thank you so much for the reviews, it was really sweet of you! I'm actually working on the detailing and emotions and I'm glad to know that you like them...**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Thank you! Here's, ~Ze moment, you've probably been waiting for!**

**BunnyluvsU:**** I'm glad to know you like my story so much! :P**

**tmntlover2013:**** Thank you! Here you go!**

**Well, that clears it! Thank you so much! You know, my teacher gave me a perfect grade on my diagnostic essay because he was "captivated by my words", he told me! It really felt good to know that a person in real life actually liked my writing other than people on this site, and I'm pretty much certain I want to become an author in the future! **

**So, thanks to everyone who reads and reviews, thanks to you I have inspiration and I know that I might get successful later on with writing my own books! Even though Fanfiction is different from the real life, it doesn't matter to me, Fanfiction does help and I love you all! Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

Ponyboy stared at the clock, thinking about his stay in the hospital.

He didn't remember the reason he was brought there in the first place, or when he ended up there, but he did remember the diagnosis and the tests.

The doctor had told him that he was suffering from psychogenic amnesia, and while he had no idea what psychogenic meant, he did get a clue. In simpler terms, he didn't remember anything because of a stressful event—which he still didn't know what it was—, but he would most likely remember the other aspects of his life soon enough, like his friends, family, habits and such.

_I don't even remember my own brothers_, he thought sadly. _They're familiar but I can't figure out anything. And I'm making them sad because of that._

He sighed, having not noticed that he wasn't alone. In fact, his nurse was just walking in his room when he sighed. She didn't catch him by surprise since he was used to loud noises and she was usually quiet.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" she asked. She was the only nurse he'd let call him that; he hated the others. They pushed him to heal faster and he didn't like that. He liked taking his time, and this nurse, Nurse Bridget, was very understanding of that.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I guess," he quietly answered.

Nurse Bridget scooted closer, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Now now," she started softly, "I know that face. What's the matter, hun?"

Ponyboy didn't want to talk, but he found the words flowing out of his mouth anyway. "I just…I feel useless, I mean…I-I don't remember anything, I can't remember my own brothers, I don't know who my parents are…they didn't even come yet." Suddenly it dawned on him that his parents hadn't visited him yet. "D-Do they even care?" he asked with a whimper.

"Oh honey, of course they did," Nurse Bridget said, pulling him to her chest to hug him. He hugged her back, feeling safe and loved. In a way, she had been like a mother to him during his stay in the hospital. She made sure she was the one who checked on him when he woke up and she made him feel useful. He felt useless for having lost his memory and not being able to recall his brothers, but she reassured him that he wasn't worthless and that he would recover his memory soon.

Suddenly she looked at the door, hearing something that he didn't. "I think you have visitors, honey," she stated, smiling. "Your brothers are here to bring you home." At his face, her smile faded. "Are you ready to go?"

He shook his head. "I-I don't feel comfortable going in a house to live with people I can't remember…"

She hugged him again, rubbing his back tenderly. "Oh, sweetie, anything is going to be better than the hospital, trust me. Plus, don't you want to remember your family and friends and past memories?"

He nodded against her shoulder. Of course he wanted to, he just didn't feel like he was ready to sleep in a bedroom he didn't remember, in a _house_ he didn't remember, with people he didn't remember.

As if hearing his thoughts, Nurse Bridget patted his shoulder affectionately. "You're going to be just fine." She just had the time to stand and grab her clipboard when Ponyboy's brothers walked in.

"Hey, Ponyboy," Sodapop said with a grin. Ponyboy couldn't help but think that Sodapop was really handsome with his grin. He was willing to bet that Nurse Bridget found him good-looking too. If she did, she didn't show it; Ponyboy glanced at her and noted that her cheeks weren't red, so she was in the clear.

"Hey, Soda," he said, shivering as he did so. It felt weird to call him that, but it was a good feeling. It felt like something he used to do, and he loved the feeling.

Sodapop noticed his shiver. "You cold?" he asked. Ponyboy hadn't really paid attention to the temperature, but now that he mentioned it, it _was_ a little freezing in the room. Of course, Ponyboy was only wearing a hospital gown, but it was sunny outside and the sunrays penetrated through the window blinds and hit him.

He nodded without really thinking about it, and Sodapop smiled. "Don't worry, we brought you your clothes. You'll be much more comfortable in them, and hotter, too." He grabbed the bundle in Darry's arms, which consisted of socks, underwear—Ponyboy blushed but didn't say anything—, a pair of jeans, a green tee-shirt and a faded purple sweater. Sodapop didn't bring sneakers but Pony knew that his pair was right by his bed.

"Thanks," he said, stretching his uninjured arm to grab the bundle. Sodapop put it next to him and walked by him. Sodapop started helping him, mindful of his casts.

Ponyboy blushed, finding it awkward for his brother to dress him up when he didn't even remember him, but he let Sodapop help him with his underwear first, then his socks, then his pants and then his shirt. "Thanks," he softly said, watching as Sodapop smiled tenderly at him. He found that he smiled back, Sodapop's smile having comforted him. Sodapop seemed like a loving person and a caring brother, which immensely reassured Ponyboy that everything could get better with his help.

Another nurse came in the room, wheeling in a wheelchair. She motioned for Ponyboy to sit down on it, making the boy scowl at her and the nurse sigh in exasperation.

"It's hospital policy, dear," Nurse Bridget told him apologetically. He sat in the chair with Sodapop's help and stared at his brothers. Darry bit his lip.

"Do you...want me to wheel you out, Pony?" he offered, to which Ponyboy quickly agreed. He didn't want to deal with the nurse, who huffed and left, leaving Nurse Bridget to "supervise" Darry and Sodapop and keep them from wheeling Ponyboy too fast or too harshly, which of course they wouldn't do.

Darry smiled down at his baby brother and stepped behind the wheelchair, grabbing the handles and slowly wheeling Ponyboy to the desk. He had signed the papers on his way to the young boy's room; he'd drop them at the desk and wheel Ponyboy to the truck, where Sodapop had already gone to start it and keep the door opened.

Ponyboy didn't pause when he saw the truck, nor did he say anything regarding it. Sodapop helped him in the truck and hopped in after him. Darry hopped in the driver's seat, sandwiching Ponyboy between him and Sodapop, though the youngest brother didn't seem to mind.

They drove off, wanting more than anything to go home. The three of them.


	11. The Hood And The Letter

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Wow! I got fourteen reviews for the last chapter! Thank you so much! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove:**** Well, it's not necessarely concern, but I hope this will do! ;) Thank you for the review!**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Here you go! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Thank you for the review!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you for the review, it was really sweet! :)**

**ArisNightfall14:**** Thank you for the compliment, it's really nice of you! And thank you for the review!**

**WatchRain4898:**** I don't know what to say, your review is soooo sweet and I loved it! I wish you could enable private messaging so I could reply with a long paragraph of how thankful I am, but I'll try to make this short and sweet. First off, I'm really glad to know that the story captivated you! I honestly didn't think of how I nailed the characters, some authors are just naturals at this, and I'm glad that you think I did! It's really cool that you dressed as the Outsiders for Halloween, that's probably what I'll do next year with a couple of friends! I honestly don't know how I came up with this; either in the shower or in bed while I'm trying to sleep but I'm thinking of too many things. I have the damnest ideas sometimes and this one worked a lot, I guess! As for the characters' personalities, I guess it comes from reading a lot of fanfiction before actually writing one! *Breathes in* Sorry for the long reply! Thank you so much for the long review, it was highly appreciated!**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Thank you for the review!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** You're not the only one who told me this. :P It's great that you think so! As for the constructive critism, it's alright, I still appreciate that you took the time to review and that you like my fanfic! Enjoy this chapter!**

**tmntlover2013:**** Thank you!**

**And thank you for the five guests that took their time at reviewing! I wish that you guys could log in so I would have a penname to add to my thanks! :)**

*****PLEASE CHECK OUT MY PROFILE***I have a couple of story ideas that I wrote but never finished really but I'll work on them as soon as Early Fire will be showing signs of finishing! I have no idea how I'll finish it yet, I'm just letting it go with the flow, but I have other stories that you might think are interesting, so look them up and message me about them, please! Thank you! Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

_"_Buck, gimme another beer."

Dallas Winston drummed his fingers on the cold counter as he waited for his even colder drink, glancing at the strippers. One particularly caught his icy blue eyes; blonde, bright blue eyes, slim and lean. _Man_, he thought, _I wonder if she can strip this well in bed too._

"Hey, Winston!"

Dallas glared as he heard a familiar voice. He turned around on his seat and stared at the more familiar hood. "Whaddaya want, Shepard?" he muttered.

"You gonna visit the kid tomorrow," Tim asked carelessly. "I wanna know what those Socs did to him."

"I'll probably check on the brat," Dallas answered unemotionally, though Tim could still hear a hint of concern for the youngest greaser in the neighborhood. If Ponyboy Curtis could be considered a greaser, that is. "And it wasn't the Socs. It was that damn fire."

"In which the Socs drew him to that church," Tim snorted.

"Whatever," Dallas mumbled. "I'll wait 'till he gets out of the hospital and I'll hang out at the Curtis house or somethin'. I hate those damn places."

"So I heard," Tim retorted, the corner of his lip quirking in a smirk. He had heard all about Dallas' 'breakdown' at the hospital when he learned about Johnny's arrest and the fire at the church, and then he had heard of Dallas visiting Johnny in jail. In fact, the New York hood was just coming back from the cooler. He wasn't wasted, though; he was probably at his second beer, or third, but he didn't show signs of being drunk. Tim knew from experience that getting drunk to forget wasn't the best solution to a problem.

"You done now?" Dallas asked in a bored drawl, mostly used for cops or other authority figures.

"Yeah, yeah," Tim answered just as lazily. "I'll leave you alone ya bastard. I'll give the queen her 'beauty sleep'."

"You ain't gonna be such a beauty when I'm through with you, Shepard," Dallas said, though not seriously. It would sound like teasing, but the hood wouldn't admit to it. Teasing was for sissies and guys in couples. He wasn't either of them.

"Like you can beat me, Winston," Tim provoked.

"Like hell I can," Dallas shot back, getting up from his seat.

"Excuse me," a feminine voice purred, and then the same blonde Dallas was eyeing earlier pushed through both hoods and sat down on the seat next to them. Dallas smirked, his previous mood forgotten.

"You got nothing to be sorry for," he murmured in her ear, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer, her back pressed against his chest. She smirked and turned around pushing him slightly and getting up from her seat, dropping her lipstick 'on purpose', bending in front of him while staring wildly at him. He winked at Tim, who rolled his eyes but sauntered away, and after drinking his beer, Dallas led her to his room.

XxX

Ponyboy refused to open his eyes until the car would be completely immobile, which would mean that he would be in 'his house'. For some reason, he felt scared, but he reminded himself that he wouldn't be afraid.

Sodapop, of course, easily noticed his brother's struggle, even with closed eyes, and wrapped an arm around him. Ponyboy stiffened, which tore at Sodapop's heart, but he gradually relaxed, reminding himself that it was his brother holding him and it was normal. As it was supposed to.

Darry parked the truck next to the house on his usual spot slowly and made sure that Ponyboy could hear the signs of a stopping engine. After a few seconds, his baby brother did, and he slowly opened his greenish-gray orbs.

The first thing he noticed was the white, run-down looking house. Sodapop cautiously unwrapped his arm from around his baby brother's shoulder and opened the truck door, wordlessly slipping out. Ponyboy noticed Sodapop's movement and followed him out the truck, holding his hand for support as he cautiously hopped out on his uninjured foot. Darry followed suit moments after, quickly unfolding the wheelchair and setting it down on the ground next to Ponyboy. Both he and Sodapop helped their youngest brother settle down in the chair.

"Welcome back home, Ponyboy," Darry softly said. Ponyboy didn't say anything, instead letting himself get wheeled by Sodapop toward the house. Darry was about to follow them in when he noticed that there was something in the mailbox. "Why don't you explore the house with Sodapop while I check the mail real quick, uh?"

Ponyboy stared at him. "I can do that," he said, and Sodapop slightly smiled at his baby brother before wheeling him in the house to 'explore'.

Darry watched his younger brothers get in before making his way to the mailbox. He quickly looked the envelopes up; bill, bill, letter, bill...

_Wait_, Darry thought, _letter?_ He left the bills in the mailbox and grabbed the letter, looking at it closely. The return address was the address for the prison.

_Johnny._

He caught Sodapop's eye in the living room window. Sodapop had been watching Ponyboy as the boy stared at the family pictures on the walls, but when he had looked over at Darry, he noticed his older brother's discomfort.

"Hey, Ponyboy," he called out, carefully so he wouldn't scare his brother. Ponyboy stared at him. "I'll be right back, okay? I just gotta tell Darry something, and then I can show you the rest of the house, okay?" Ponyboy nodded, not the least wondering what it was about, watching as Sodapop walked outside toward the mailbox.

"What is it?" Sodapop asked once he reached Darry. Darry wordlessly showed him the letter. Sodapop paled, realising the same thing Darry did moments before.

"We can't let him see it," Darry stated, "or else he might remember the murder and the fire. He still doesn't remember that and I think it's best he doesn't at all, at least for a while."

Sodapop nodded his agreement. "I still wanna read the letter though, see how Johnny's doing." Darry nodded as well.

"Not right now, though. Let's get Ponyboy settled in and when he'll go to sleep, we can read it."

It was decided by both brothers that Ponyboy wouldn't know about Johnny yet, and that they would be the ones who would talk to the locked up gang member.

When they walked in the house, they saw that Ponyboy had somehow wheeled himself by the piano, looking on the verge of collapsing, obviously tired by the effort he did for a simple task. Sodapop eyed him warily while Darry put his hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Ponyboy?"

_Ponyboy nodded. "Is it...Is it okay if I lie down? __I don't feel so good__," he mumbled. Darry put the palm of his hand on Ponyboy's forehead, ignoring the flinch, and shook his head. _

_"_You don't have a fever, but just to make sure that you won't develop one, I think it'll be better if you rest for a bit. Then we can do stuff together for your memory. How does that sound?"

Ponyboy nodded, smiling at his big brothers. "Okay," he said, and then he got up from his seat by the piano. Sodapop wheeled him to his room and, moments later, the older boy walked out and sat down on the kitchen table, followed by Darry.

"Why don't we open up that letter, uh?" Sodapop proposed, and Darry realised that it was in fact the perfect moment to read it. He cut the envelop and took the letter out, reading it out-loud but carefully so Ponyboy wouldn't overhear.

"_Dear Ponyboy,_

_Glory, I sure hope everything's alright at the hospital. It was quite a hit you took there. I can't wait to get news from you._

_T__he cooler sucks. I hate it here._" The two older brothers looked at each other sympathetically, feeling sorry for their imprisoned gang member. "_The only cop who took me seriously was the one who arrested me. He said that you and I could change the vision of the world, that money isn't as important as it is, and that Greasers are humans and Socs are humans and both should be treated equally. He was a really cool guy, and he's basic__ally the only thing I like here._" Sodapop looked up at Darry, surprised. Finally, someone was on their side.

"_The other cops are giving me hell, just like the other prisoners. It's a good thing I'm in a separate cell, otherwise I'd hate it even more._" _Poor Johnny__, _Darry thought.

"_I miss you and I miss the gang a lot. Dally visited me earlier and when he left he was real shook up. Watch him for me, will you? As much as I want him to be in jail with me so I won't be alone, I don't want him to do anything stupid._

_But the first thing I want you to do is take care of yourself before anything else and get better, got it? I hope you visit me soon._

_Your buddy,_

_Johnny._"

Both brothers stared at each other. The poor kid had to go through an experience as traumatising as Ponyboy's. Johnny Cade could never hurt a fly even if it was already dead, and he was in jail for murder.

Just then, the door slammed shut, followed by a familiar call of; "Heelllloooooo, Curtis'!"

Sodapop sprung from his seat and then the general ruckus of a wrestling match was heard. "Shut up, you stupid bum," Sodapop gasped between trying to pin his friend and win the match. "Ponyboy's sleeping!" Finally he surrendered when Two-Bit had him pinned.

"We went to the hospital," Steve started, annoyed. "You coulda told us that he wasn't there anymore."

Two-Bit laughed. "The nurse at the desk looked at him as if he was crazy and almost called a doctor on him!"

Darry didn't find the situation half as funny as Two-Bit did, but he smiled when Sodapop started laughing and Steve playfully decked him.

"Poker?" Darry suggested. Normally he wouldn't take part of those card games, especially with three cheaters, but he wanted to keep his mind off of things such as Ponyboy. His baby brother would eventually be alright, he was sure of it.

He couldn't wait for that moment to come.

XxX

"So," Tim started. "Heard that the kid was out of the hospital."

"You coulda told me earlier," Dallas scowled. "I wouldn't have had to deck those sons-of-bitches on my way to the damn hospital." _Not that I minded_, Dallas mentally added. _They deserved a good beating, and that's what they got for messing with me._

"Stop complaining," Tim shot at him. "You would've met those jerks later anyway, so might as well beat the crap outta them now."

Dallas smirked. "Serves them right." Then he looked outside. "Think I'll make my way over to the Curtis house," he stated. "Wanna come? You oughta talk to Darry 'bout the rumble."

Tim shrugged. "Might as well."

And with that said, both hoods made their way over to the Curtis house, glaring at any Soc who dared to jump the most dangerous hoods in Tulsa.

XxX

**A/N: I know I rarely put Author's Notes at the end of my chapters, but this one is important.**

**I hope none of you are confused right now. If you are, then I'll explain.**

**The thing is that in chapter 8, the Shepards chapter, I started in the morning when Dallas woke up and therefore, when Ponyboy's brothers picked him up from the hospital. Dallas didn't know that they were home so he went to the hospital but he got jumped on his way there, so he went back to Shepard's house. Meanwhile, the Curtis brothers are back home. For those of you who caught on to it, congrats! For those of you who didn't, I hope this explanation is enough!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and until the next update, Stay Gold xxx**

**-Shattered Aura**


	12. The Social Worker

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove:**** It'll come soon! Meanwhile, I hopeyou enjoy this chapter! **

**Zarak:**** :)**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** You'll have to read to find out. ;)**

**mycookiegirl:**** Aww, don't worry! I'm glad that you still reviewed! Your review is really nice! I was hoping someone would react to Dallas' thoughts, haha! Thank you so much for your compliment, I'm glad to know that someone likes my stories so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Stay Gold xxx**

**WatchRain4898:**** Thank you for the review! It was really nice of you! I'm glad you caught on! ;)**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Alright, here it is!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you for the feedback, it's highly appreciated! :)**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Omg, thank you so much for the review, it means a lot to me! Btw I love your penname, I'm a greaser girl by heart...3**

**ArisNightfall14:**** Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter! :)**

**And for the three reviews that will probably get deleted since I will delete the A/N...:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend****,** **The Curtis Crew**** and** **WatchRain4898:**** I hope you won't be disappointed with this chapter! ;)**

**That settles it! Only 22 reviews to go to reach 100! Think you guys can do this in two chapters? Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy this chapter! I love y'all!**

XxX

The knock at the door was unexpected. Darry and Sodapop both looked at each other while Two-Bit and Steve shot them worried glances. Finally Darry got up from his seat on the couch and cautiously made his way to the door, where he was greeted by their social worker.

"Hello, Darrel," Patti Henson greeted. She had been the Curtis' social worker ever since their parents died. "May I?"

Darry stepped aside, giving her enough space to walk in. Not that she needed much space—she was pretty slim—but it was mostly out of respect. After all, she was the one who decided the Curtis' future.

"Hello, Sodapop," Patti greeted the teenager. Sodapop smiled at her, although it was a weak attempt.

"Hi, Mrs. Henson," he greeted back. Steve inwardly winced. He was NOT used to this side of his friend. But, because she was an important woman in his best friend's life—and not for the best of reasons—he didn't say anything about it. Two-Bit, for once, kept his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry for the early visit," she started. "You see, a couple of, ah, circumstances, brought me here today." Sodapop visibly shook. He and Darry knew exactly what circumstances she was talking about. "I would like to discuss them with the two of you."

Steve took the hint before Two-Bit did. He subtly elbowed his friend. "We're gonna go for a walk," he said before getting up, taking his jacket even though it wasn't really cold outside. Two-Bit followed suit, leaving both older Curtis brothers with their social worker.

"Alright," Mrs. Henson muttered to herself. "So. Today I came to talk about Ponyboy's condition. He has recently been checked in and out of the hospital for..." she flipped through the pages of her folder and pulled one out, "...and I quote: 'Being trapped in a burning church and losing his memory.' Am I correct?"

Darry fought hard to keep his cool, but deep down inside, he was afraid that she might take Ponyboy and even Sodapop away from her custody. Mrs. Henson was a decent woman and often stood by their side, but if she judged that Ponyboy wasn't safe with him, and then she would take him away. And he didn't want that to happen.

"Yes, correct."

"What exactly did happen for Ponyboy to find himself in a church about three hours away with a murderer?"

Darry started to get mad. He was mad enough to ignore his shock that she knew about Johnny. Johnny didn't deserve to be called a murderer when he in fact saved his baby brother's life, twice. "Mrs. Henson, I don't want to be impolite, but Johnny is far from being the murderer that people think he is. He saved Ponyboy's life twice. I owe him so much."

If Patti was impressed, she hid it well. "I understand that, Darrel," she started, "but right now, Johnny Cade isn't in my case. The concerned is Ponyboy. Tell me what happened."

"Well, he went to the movies Saturday night with Johnny," Darry explained. "He came back at two in the morning, claiming that he fell asleep in the lot. We got into an argument and he took off."

"Did you hurt him in any way, verbally or physically to lead him to run away?"

Darry shook his head. He _had_ hit Ponyboy, but he would never admit to the social services that he did. "I would never hurt him intentionally."

Patti stared at him. "But you _did_ hurt him, am I correct?"

Darry bowed his head. "Sodapop was trying to defend him. I yelled at Soda and Ponyboy yelled at me not to, so I..." He breathed in deeply. "So I wheeled around and slapped him. I was so worried for him...and it turned into anger. And then to guilt."

"And why didn't you tell me?" Patti said, but she didn't sound mad. Her voice had a tint of sympathy. She had handled many cases of abuse and she knew that Darrel Curtis Junior was definitely not an abuser.

"I didn't want you to take Ponyboy away...he's recovering and he needs us to help recover his memory. I swear I don't even drink or smoke and I don't abuse my brothers, I would never dare to think to hit Ponyboy again."

"What happened next?" she asked, having nothing to say to his claim. She already knew he didn't mean it.

He looked at her again. "From what I know, he ran to Johnny, who was still in the lot, and they both ran to the park. They had a run-in at the movies with a group of rich kids, and that same group cornered them in the park. They tried to...drown Ponyboy, and Johnny killed their leader to protect him. That's where they ran away to the church..."

"How did they know where the church was?" Patti asked, suspicious. She suspected that someone else told Johnny Cade and Ponyboy where the church was, and they certainly didn't have money with them at that time either.

"I honestly have no idea, Mrs. Henson," Darry truthfully said. Patti believed him. "All I know is that I get a call in the afternoon from Johnny himself that the church they hid in caught on fire and Ponyboy was trapped in it. Next thing I know, he lost his memory from that fire because it had been a stressful and traumatic experience for him to live through."

"Please," Sodapop begged, talking for the first time. "He needs to stay here. He'll never get his memory back if he goes away and I'll never forgive myself if he doesn't remember us."

She cocked an eyebrow professionally, if possible. "How would it be your fault?"

"I should've run after him," Sodapop explained with overwhelming guilt in his voice and in his eyes. "I should've followed him out the door. Maybe he would still be mad at Darry to this day, but he'd be healthy and he would know who I am. I...," he sniffed, tears forming in his chocolate brown eyes, "I won't be able to take it if you take him away from us."

Patti stood up, glancing around and in the direction of Ponyboy's room. "Is he in there?"

Darry stood up as well. "Yes, but he's asleep. Please don't wake him up, he'll just panic and his condition will get worse."

Patti nodded, grabbing her sheets and tucking them back in her folder, then picking it up in her arms. "Well, I don't see any good reason to take your brother away," she said. "I do what's best for the children, and it is in Ponyboy's best interest that he stays with his brothers throughout his recovery." She halted Sodapop as he was about to jump in joy. "IF, however, something else happens, I will have to revaluate the case and take him into the State's custody. Is that clear?"

Darry shook her hand. "It's perfectly clear. We'll take good care of him, Mrs. Henson. Thank you."

"You always did, Darrel," she said with a small smile. "See as it stays this way." With that said, she walked out, soundlessly closing the door behind her. Seconds later, the only things heard in the house were the faint sound of an engine and Sodapop's crying.

XxX

They didn't stop walking until they ended up at the Dingo.

Two-Bit followed Steve inside and having nothing to do, decided to order something to eat. He hadn't eaten anything in the morning, having been too focused on his headache to care about food.

"You think the Curtis' will get separated?" he asked between bites. Steve glared at him.

"They have no reason to. Kid's fine where he is."

"Yeah, but..."

"Two-Bit, do me a favor and shut up, for once," Steve interrupted coldly. "Kid's gonna stay with Darry, and that's that. He has to."

Two-Bit shrugged just as the waitress gave him his food. ."Is there anything else?" she asked sweetly.

"How 'bout your number, babe," Two-Bit said, winking. The blonde girl—of course—rolled her eyes and left the table, with Two-Bit staring at her with a smirk and Steve rolling his eyes as well but smirking at his friend's attempts.

He looked outside and spotted the social worker's car as it drove by the Dingo and sped away. It was too far away to tell if Ponyboy was inside, but he swore she was alone. "Hurry up, ya bum. We have to go back to the Curtis'.

Two-Bit wolfed down the rest of his meal and drank his beer in a hurry, almost choking. Steve sighed in exasperation and got up, making his way to the door. "If you choke just 'cause of me, well I don't know you."

Two-Bit doubled over and coughed twice before gulping down his bite. "Well, you told me to hurry up, so I hurried up," he retorted in a strained voice, coughing again until his throat felt better. Then he followed Steve outside and both boys made their way to the Curtis house.

"Look what we have here," a familiar voice said. Steve and Two-Bit turned around and saw none other than Dallas, accompanied by the Shepard leader.

"Hey Dallas," Steve coolly said. "Shepard." Two-Bit nodded as well.

"Where ya bums headed to?" Dallas casually asked.

"Going to the Curtis house," Two-Bit answered. "Gonna see if the kid's still there."

"Whaddaya mean, "If the kid's still there"?" Dallas asked. "Didn't he leave the hospital earlier this afternoon?"

Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, and we were there before, but their social worker came and we had to leave them alone."

Dallas cursed, his curses rivaling with a sailor's. "That stupid bitch," he hissed. He knew about the Curtis' social worker, and while she was fair to them, to Dallas she was still a bitch. Why couldn't she take care of cases that actually had abuse in it, instead of threatening people who were perfectly fine?

Tim narrowed his eyes. "If she takes 'em away, I'll make sure my boys deal with her afterward."

Steve frowned. "She'll suspect it'll have to do with Darry's custody and it won't help 'em. Let Darry deal with her."

Tim shrugged. "Whatever." He looked at where they were. They had been walking while talking, and they were near the Curtis house. "Wanna come in with us?" Two-Bit asked the two hoods.

Tim shrugged again. "Why not. I got nothing better to do anyway."

When they reached the Curtis house, they heard whispering and crying. Steve and Two-Bit feared the worst, while Dallas and Tim glared at the door. Steve opened it to find that Darry was hugging Sodapop, who was crying.

"Soda!" Steve said, plopping down on the couch and putting his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Did she take him? I swear I'll pound her if she did!" Tim cocked an eyebrow at that. Moments ago, Steve told him to let Darry deal with Patti Henson, and then he was all for beating her head in. Still, part of him knew that he was just saying that to make Sodapop feel better.

"No," Sodapop said, "he's staying with us!" He smiled through his tears. Darry hadn't cried but hugged him fiercely.

Steve smiled at his best friend while Two-Bit grinned.

Ponyboy was staying with them after all. And he would stay for good.


	13. The Visits (2)

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Sorry about the wait. I'm currently fighting a demon called "Writer's Block". I don't know shit of what to do with my next chapter, or where it's going now that the action is pretty much done for now...I'm currently getting energy back from two rough weeks so I can beat this demon's ass.**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove:**** I hope this satisfies you! Thank you!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Glad you did!**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Thank YOU so much for the review, I'm glad someone thinks this way!**

**tmntlover2013:**** Hope you enjoy!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you for the feedback, it's highly appreciated! :) xx**

**mycookiegirl:**** Thank you for your review! Your reviews truly warm my heart, I like how you also justify what you like about the chapter! &amp; No, no one touches Johnny! *Hugs Johnny* Well except me... Lol, I guess I should let you hug him too since you're also protective of him! ;) Anyway, enjoy this chapter! And I'm glad you're getting better! :)**

**BunnyluvsU:**** Here it is, I hope you like it!**

**Guest ****(2)****:**** Here is the chapter! Please enjoy and thank you for reviewing! &amp; Please login if you can so I can have a penname to thank you with. :)**

**Well, that about settles it for my replies!**

**Note: I'm on my Spring Break and I have the week off, so I'll try to give you two chapters this week instead of one! &amp; You'll have a little surprise at the end of the chapter. I figured you waited long enough...**

**Note 2: I'm currently working on a three-shot that I will start posting as soon as it's done, and I'm also working on another, hopefully big story, called The Eye of the Tiger. Check it out on my profile, I have all my ideas stocked on there for possible-future stories and TEOFT might be the next after Early Fire! &amp; The three-shot is a collab with FrankElza since she's been giving me awesome feedback and I figured, why not work on something with her? I promise you guys won't be disappointed! **

**'Till then, R &amp; R and enjoy!**

XxX

_"_So," Dallas casually said once Sodapop had calmed down. "Didja get any news on Johnny?"

Darry sadly smiled. "He wrote to Ponyboy. He doesn't know about the amnesia."

Sodapop shot him a look while Dallas gaped and he narrowed his eyes. "Amnesia? He lost his fucking memory?"

Darry had completely forgotten that Dallas didn't know about Ponyboy's condition. _He knows now__, _Darry thought. "Yeah, apparently it's from the trauma of being stuck inside a burning church in a small hole with no light. It caused him temporary memory loss."

"Well ain't that fucking fantastic," Dallas spat. "How's he gonna testify for Johnny if he doesn't remember the murder?"

"What murder?" a small voice asked from the hallway. The group turned and spotted Ponyboy, obviously having trouble standing on his uninjured leg with barely enough support from his uninjured arm. Sodapop paled and rushed over to help his brother, slinging an arm around his shoulder, mindful of his casts. Tim and Dallas shot each other looks.

"Something that happened while I was in New York," Dallas quickly lied. Darry shot him a thankful glance, in which Dally subtly replied with a small shifting of his position.

"You've been in New York before?" Ponyboy asked innocently. "Where is that?" Then, he looked at the ceiling, seeming thoughtful, before staring back at Dallas. "Who are you?"

"Name's Dallas Winston," Dallas answered casually, not even annoyed of telling his name to someone who already knew it but couldn't remember it.

Ponyboy looked up at the ceiling again for a couple of seconds before shrugging. "I don't know you," he concluded. The look on his face when he looked back at Dallas was one of overwhelming sadness. "Should I?"

Dallas inwardly cringed. _The kid's in a poor state__, _he thought. "Yeah, kid, you should," he answered, not liking how soft his voice came out but not caring about it. "It's okay."

Ponyboy just simply nodded. Then he tried to take a step forward, but he winced. "Hey, easy Ponyboy," Sodapop gently scolded. "You should be resting in bed right now."

"I'm hungry," he flatly said.

"Do you want some soup?" Sodapop asked. Again, Ponyboy nodded.

"Alright, but you need to sit down," Darry said, pointing at the couch. Two-Bit and Steve, who had both been sitting on it, took the hint and fetched a pillow and a blanket from the closet while Sodapop guided Ponyboy to the couch. When Ponyboy finally sat down, he was clearly exhausted and in pain.

"Do you need your pain meds, honey?" Sodapop softly asked as he saw Ponyboy wince. Ponyboy nodded, and moments later Sodapop was back with his pain meds and a glass of water to chug them down. Ponyboy swallowed them and drank the water, then gave the glass to Sodapop and lied down on the couch. Darry covered him with the blanket and fetched another pillow to keep his foot elevated.

Ponyboy fell asleep before the soup was done. "Save him a bowl," Darry told Sodapop. "He'll have it for later." Sodapop simply nodded and did as he was told.

"Well, I should get going," Two-Bit said. "I'll be back later." He waved at the group and walked outside. Steve followed shortly after, claiming he needed to grab the night shift. That left the Curtis brothers and the two hoods.

Dallas glanced at Ponyboy's sleeping form. _He looks so young_, Dallas thought, too young to be in this mess. "I oughta kill those bastards for what they did to Ponyboy and Johnny."

"It won't solve a thing," Darry reluctantly said. "We'll settle it in a rumble."

Dallas slammed his fist on the table. "It's too personal, man! They almost killed your kid brother!" Sodapop made a choking noise that went unnoticed. "And they sent Johnny to jail! They're too young to go through this shit! I say we jump those sons-of-bitches and give 'em what they deserve!"

Tim stepped in. "Calm down, Winston. Curtis' right, we'll settle it in a rumble and we'll beat those fuckers' heads in."

Dallas cursed under his breath. "Fine. Whatever." Then he stormed out of the house after glancing at Ponyboy one last time. Fortunately, the boy hadn't woken up yet.

Tim glanced at Ponyboy too. "How'd he get his arm and leg broken?" he casually asked.

"A beam fell on his arm and then he broke his knee when he fell in the hole," Darry explained. "He spent hours stuck in that hole since the church collapsed on it. Then he passed out or something, 'cause when he woke up, he didn't remember a thing."

Tim cursed under his breath. "Don't worry, Curtis, we'll get 'em. The kid'll be alright and the Socs won't bother us anymore." With a nod of his head, he left the house as well.

Sodapop sighed, smoothing back Ponyboy's grease-free hair from his forehead. "Y'know," he abruptly said, "Dally made a point. When they mess with our gang, it becomes personal. I wanna beat their heads in so bad." Darry noticed that Sodapop was slightly shaking with rage.

"Easy, Sodapop," he murmured, putting his hand on Sodapop's shoulder and patting it. "Trust me, I wanna beat 'em too, but we all need to blow off some steam in a rumble. They've been jumping us like crazy ever since Bob's murder...We all need is to beat their heads in. And then, it'll be over."

Sodapop shook his head and shot from his seat, staring straight at Darry. "I don't understand! Why Ponyboy? Uh? What'd HE do to Bob to get drowned? What'd he do to be stuck in a burning church? He doesn't deserve any of it!"

Darry stood up as well and wrapped both arms around Sodapop, bringing him to his chest. "Sodapop, take it easy, buddy..." Sodapop hugged Darry back and started crying. "Ponyboy's gonna be fine, we'll help him get through it all. He'll get his memory back, and then we'll be a real family again. I promise."

Unbeknownst to the both of them, Ponyboy had woken up and was silently watching the two brothers hug, saddened that he couldn't remember those two caring persons.

XxX

"Here's your meal, Cade."

I sighed as the guard slid my lunch in a small space in the bars. Cold soup, cold bread and lukewarm water. Great.

"Quit your frowning and eat the damn thing," he snapped. I glared back at him. I didn't care that I didn't look as threatening as any other prisoner did. I hated his guts and I showed it. In fact, I hated everyone's guts in this place.

Except Peter, the cop who arrested me, but then again, I never saw him, even after he promised me that he'd try being my guard and all. So, I hated him too.

Another cop walked in the room. "You got a visitor, Cade. You better make it snappy."

I glared at him but nonetheless ate my food, which had gotten colder, if possible. They couldn't keep anyone comfortable; couldn't they at least cook decent food? Or heat it?

The first time I had mentioned that, I had gotten slapped hard across the face. "You can endure being uncomfortable; you can endure cold food too," my guard had said. I had only glared at him before finishing my meal and shoving it back outside the cell.

This time, the cop opened my cell door and hauled me to a room, where Dally was sitting. He looked up at me when I walked in, but he didn't say anything.

The cop let go of my arm and walked back out. "You got an hour, Cade," he said before shutting the door closed and locking it. I turned to look back at Dally, who motioned for me to sit down.

"Johnny," he simply said.

"Dally," I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you, stupid," he said in his usual teasing voice—the one he only used with me or sometimes Ponyboy—but he didn't smirk like he usually did when teasing me. "I don't have good news."

I gulped, fearing the worse. "Is it about..."

"Pony," he interrupted. "He's back home, but he's got amnesia. He doesn't remember a single damn thing. He doesn't even remember his own brothers."

I gaped. "How? He didn't hit his head or anything!"

"Apparently it's from the 'trauma he went through' or some bullshit like that," he answered unemotionally, but I could tell that he was mad. He cared for Pony even if he didn't show it.

Something dawned on me then. "Wh-What about the trial? Bob? He doesn't remember!" I whimpered without meaning to. "How long 'till he does? How long do I have to stay here before the trial date?"

"Easy there, Johnny," Dally said, standing up and making his way next to me, dragging his chair along. He sat down right in front of me and looked straight at me. "Listen, Ponyboy's memory loss ain't gonna last long. And then, when he remembers, I'm gonna drag his ass here and then I'll have him testify for you. Got it?"

I could only nod.

XxX

**A/N: OMG I'M SORRY GUYS, I HAD THE WRONG CHAPTER! Here's the right one! I'm sorry! It was the first chapter for Heartbeat, my collab with FrankElza. I'll post it now since some of you have seen it now, I guess!**


	14. The Socs

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**First off, I apologize to ****Jessieklove****, ****Seth Clearwater****, ****Pony'sgirlfriend****, ****The Curtis Crew**** and ****Dorianimeyaoilover****. I accidently posted the first chapter of my other story ****Heartbeat**** (please check it out!) for the 13th chapter of this story! Thank you, ****Dorianimeyaoilover**** for pointing it out, or else more people would've been more confused! Thank you for reviewing anyway guys!**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Thank you so much for your review, it means a lot for me to know that I'm your favorite author! I promise I won't disappoint you! ;)**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you! I had a doubt about how I wrote Dally, but you cleared it out! Thank you for reviewing! :) xx**

**Guest101 ****(chapter 6)****:**** In fact, I think someone pointed it out, but thank you anyway! I could also picture a young Darry, pissed that his new sibling wasn't a girl like planned! The flashback was my personal favorite part of the chapter and I'm glad you liked it!**

**ImAGreaserGirl:**** Wow, thank you for your review! And it's okay about the fanfiction login, at least I have a name to thank you with! :)**

**tmntlover2013:**** Thank you for the review! I'm glad to know that you appreciate my story! **

**WatchRain4894:**** It's alright, don't worry about it! Your review made me laugh; Ugh the feels...Hahaha! Trust me, I can't wait for Pony to have his memory back either, but I decide when! ;P**

**That settles it! Now I have to notify you of something important: I will update Saturday or Sunday with a filler chapter. After that, I will be a little busy for the next few weeks. I have important theatre rehearsals at school since our Outsiders play is coming up in four weeks and I want to work on my acting! I also have a music show next Saturday so this week will be more focused on theatre and music than fanfiction, which is why I will write my chapters early so I can work on them after and post them. I will be posting once a week for the next few weeks! I'll try not to leave any huge cliff-hanger, but don't kill me if I do! Now, please R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

The next day, Darry and Sodapop reluctantly drove to work, having to rely on Two-Bit to watch Ponyboy while they were gone.

And that meant no beer.

Which absolutely bummed Two-Bit.

"You drink beer in front of his face and I make sure you won't have a recognizable face," had been Darry's threat—no, promise, so Two-Bit had quickly agreed.

"Bring him over to the DX when he wakes up," Sodapop had requested.

"Don't hang around in town or don't go too far if you do," Darry had ordered. "The Socs are still roaming the neighborhood, looking for trouble. As soon as they see Pony, they'll jump the two of you."

Two-Bit had waved him off, faking being offended and claiming he was always careful, to which Darry had rolled his eyes before walking out, but then he had peeked through the door and had glared at Two-Bit, pointing his index finger at him. "I mean it, Matthews. If you don't deal with Ponyboy; you deal with me. Got it?"

Two-Bit had muttered: "Got it, Superman..." to which Darry had scowled but had walked off to the truck, where Sodapop had been none-patiently waiting in the driver's seat. He had sped off as soon as Darry had hopped in the passenger seat.

And now, it was Two-Bit's turn to wait. And boy, did he hate waiting.

He had half the mind to bolt to the fridge, grab a beer and chug it down, but he tried convincing himself that he was too lazy to get up to get it. Darry would have his ass anyway.

He decided to watch TV. Mickey Mouse wasn't on yet, but it would be on soon. He could wait for that.

No longer did he turn the TV set on, that he heard a whimper coming from Ponyboy's room. He paled, knowing where it would lead to, and bolted to Ponyboy's room, where the boy's face was scrunched up and he was sweating bullets.

Two-Bit bit his lip. He was never good at comforting anyway, except maybe his sister or his mother, but Ponyboy was a far cry from it. "Ponyboy, sshhh, wake up."

He didn't want to shake Ponyboy, for fear of having him roll over and fall on the floor. Of course, he would catch him, but he couldn't guarantee he would be mindful of the boy's casts at that point.

Ponyboy let out a shrill scream, which made Two-Bit jump, but this time he gripped Ponyboy by the shoulders and shook him enough to wake him up. Ponyboy shot up in bed, letting out a loud gasp and starting to cough.

Two-Bit sat down next to him and rubbed his back, trying to find a way to ease Ponyboy's coughs. They eventually subsided, and then Ponyboy started crying.

"Aw, hell, Ponyboy, sshhh," he said, rubbing the boy's back awkwardly in what he hoped was still soothing. "You're gonna be fine." Ponyboy sniffled and nodded. "Do you remember it?"

Ponyboy nodded, a few tears making their way down in cheeks. "It was dark...I was cold...Then someone picked me up and tried to drown me, but I couldn't see who..."

Two-Bit paled, fortunately going unnoticed by Ponyboy. Shit, Two-Bit thought, he remembered the fountain and the Socs. Or did he?

"Uh, do you know what that meant?" Two-Bit asked Ponyboy. Thankfully for him, the boy shook his head. Two-Bit nodded, then pondered something in his head.

"Do you wanna do something today?" Two-Bit offered lightly, trying to change the subject.

Ponyboy sniffed and cocked his head to the side. "Like what? I can't walk with those casts on."

Two-Bit chuckled at Ponyboy's still apparent innocence. "Nah, I'll wheel you around, show you the town a bit. Then we'll go see Sodapop at work." Ponyboy smiled. "Sounds good?" He nodded.

He stared at the ground before looking back at the older boy. "Two-Bit?"

"Yeah?"

"I like you. You're a good friend."

Two-Bit grinned at the younger boy. "Gee, thanks, kid." Nobody had ever told him that before, and it felt good to know that he was appreciated as a good friend. Even when the kid doesn't remember me, Two-Bit thought with a pang in his heart. He still thinks I'm a good pal.

"Now get dressed," Two-Bit said with laughter in his voice. "I may be a good friend but I'm not dressing you up."

Ponyboy frowned. "I can't...my casts."

Two-Bit's smile faded. "Shit kid, I was just trying to joke. I forgot." Ponyboy waved him off and forgave him, to which Two-Bit sighed in relief before carefully taking the sling off Ponyboy's arm. The last thing he wanted was to lose Ponyboy's trust over a stupid joke, or hurt Ponyboy's feelings.

Two-Bit helped Ponyboy put sweatpants on and one of Soda's t-shirts which provided both safety and comfort for the younger boy. Then, he put back the sling on and told him to cover his eyes and that he would give him a surprise. Two-Bit then greased Ponyboy's hair and showed it to Ponyboy with the help of a small portable mirror.

Ponyboy gasped when he saw that. "What did you do to my hair?!" he asked, looking at Two-Bit with an unreadable expression on his face. Two-Bit bit his lip to keep from laughing loudly, but it slipped from his lips anyway. Ponyboy pursed his lips to keep himself from laughing at all, but with Two-Bit, it was hard not to laugh. He learned that easily enough.

"Two-Bit, why'd you do that?" he said between laughter. Two-Bit wiped his eyes.

"The expression on your face, kid!" he exclaimed. "Us greasers put hair grease in our hair, hence our name. It makes us look tough. You're a greaser like us, so you get to look tough like we do!"

Ponyboy shot him a crooked grin. He liked his life so far. True, maybe he was poor, but he had caring brothers and amazing friends. His smile slowly faded when he felt a pang in his heart; they were friends he still couldn't remember.

"Are ya hungry, Ponyboy?" Two-Bit asked once he had Ponyboy wheeled in the living room. Ponyboy thought about it, then shook his head.

"I wanna go see Sodapop," he requested, to which Two-Bit grinned and wheeled him out on the porch. Darry and Sodapop had put a ramp on the side and had nailed it down so it wouldn't fall and possibly injure Ponyboy even more. Two-Bit guided Ponyboy out of the street, toward the DX.

On their way there, Two-Bit noticed that they were being followed by a grey Mustang full of Socs. There were maybe five or six Socs in the car. Ponyboy didn't notice, too excited to get out of the house and walk—or, in his condition, wheel—around town.

"Ponyboy," Two-Bit half-said, half-whispered, "someone's following us, and they're not friendly. I'm trying to go as fast as I can. It ain't easy but we're almost there, 'kay?" Ponyboy nodded, looking scared and worried.

They were about two blocks from the DX when the Mustang stopped in front of them and five Socs got out, surrounding the duo. Two-Bit let go of the handles of the wheelchair and protectively stood in front of Ponyboy, who was pale and was starting to shake from fear.

"Well, well, well," one of the Socs said. "What do we have here?"

"I don't know, David," another Soc told their 'leader'. "I guess one greaser and one handicap."

Two-Bit let out a growl. "Either you let us through or I'll make my way through."

"We can help you with that, greaser" David sneered. "Get them!"

Two-Bit didn't have any time to move, as two Socs caught him while the three remaining Socs, including David, pushed Ponyboy's wheelchair further away from Two-Bit and surrounded him. Ponyboy was getting panicked.

"Hey, David," one of the Socs said, stopping David and the other one from punching Ponyboy. "Ain't that the kid you tried to drown last week?"

Wait, Ponyboy thought with wide eyes, what?

David paused, then smirked. "Why yes, it is," he said. "I think he hasn't changed. He still needs a bath. What do you think, guys?"

The other Socs whooped. David's smirk widened. "Then let's do it!"

One of the Socs grabbed Ponyboy under the armpits while the other one held his waist. David kicked the wheelchair and watched as Ponyboy struggled and got punched in the stomach, catching him off-guard.

"C'mon, hurry up!" he shouted, then opened the trunk of the car. Ponyboy's eyes widened.

"Two-Bit!" he shrieked. "Two-Bit, help!" The Socs laughed as they punched his face and stomach again, making the boy cough and splutter. They quickly stuffed him in the trunk, but before they could close it, hands gripped the back of their necks and threw them into each other, knocking them out cold instantly. Another hand—curled in a fist—punched David in the face, knocking him down but not unconscious.

He made his way to the driver's seat and shouted for the others to hurry up and "get the hell outta here", in his words. They left Two-Bit just as two pairs of hands grabbed Ponyboy and got him out of the trunk, then slammed the trunk closed.

David drove off, leaving his two unconscious gang members behind and leaving the greasers and rescuers in the dust.

Two-Bit coughed then opened his eyes to look at Ponyboy, who was crying in the rescuers' arms. "Ponyboy!" he cried out, running over to him and hugging him. Normally he wouldn't hug anyone, but Ponyboy had almost been kidnapped right in front of him and he hadn't done enough to protect him. He felt extremely guilty.

"Two-Bit," the boy wailed in his arms, hugging back with one arm, his whole body shaking. He had almost been kidnapped and he was scared.

Two-Bit turned to look at the rescuers and was shocked when he noticed that it was none other than Dallas Winston and Tim Shepard.

"Shepard? Dally!"

Tim coolly nodded while Dallas glared at him. "How could you be so stupid, bringing the kid in town with the Socs waiting for him to show up just to kill him?! Do you realise they coulda drowned him again and damn well murdered him?!"

Two-Bit lost all worry in his face, replacing it by rare anger. "Soda asked me to bring the kid along to the DX! I wasn't gonna refuse him that!"

Dallas cursed. "Yeah, well you coulda waited for someone, stupid!"

A whimper caught both arguers' attention. "Please, guys, stop fighting," Ponyboy asked, still crying and still being supported by Two-Bit. "I-I'm fine now...I just wanna go see Soda."

Two-Bit and Dallas both shared a look, with Dallas mouthing: "We'll talk later," which meant that Two-Bit would need an ice-pack on his eye—whichever one—tonight. They both helped Ponyboy back in the wheelchair. Tim instantly noticed Ponyboy's pained expression.

"You sure you're fine, kid?" he asked, not waiting for a reply. "You hurt anywhere?"

Ponyboy groaned as he shifted in his seat, trying to be comfortable, but his stomach hurt. "Y-Yeah, my stomach..."

"Two-Bit, go get his meds," Dallas barked, "And clean yourself. We'll take the kid to the DX; no one's gonna mess with us and you just havta run if you don't wanna get jumped again." Two-Bit complied, running over to the Curtis house while he and Tim started wheeled a silently crying Ponyboy to his brother.

XxX

Five minutes later, the trio reached the DX. Tim opened the door for Dallas to wheel Ponyboy in easier and then he left while Dallas wheeled Ponyboy inside, where Sodapop waited for him with a broad smile. It faded as soon as he saw Ponyboy's face.

"Ponyboy! What happened?" Ponyboy looked up at him and sniffled. Dallas stepped in.

"He and Two-Bit got jumped by the Socs. Two-Bit's gone to get his meds and then he'll be back."

Sodapop narrowed his eyes. "If there's something you ain't saying..."

Dallas glared back. "These bastards tried to kidnap your brother."

Sodapop took a step back, mouth agape. "What?! Kidnap?"

"They threw him in their trunk when me and Tim got there. We beat those fuckers' heads in and grabbed the kid." Dallas glanced at Ponyboy. "He's been punched on the stomach and on the face, but his arm and leg look okay to me."

"Of course they do," Sodapop snapped. "They're trapped in casts." Dallas ignored Sodapop's attitude, understanding why he was acting this way.

Sodapop made his way to Ponyboy and hugged him. The boy hugged back with his uninjured arm and sniffled. "Sshhh, I'm right here Ponyboy, you're alright now."

"Soda?" Ponyboy sniffed.

"Yeah?"

"...Who were they?"

Sodapop paused. "They're just troublemakers, baby. They're rich kids and they like to hurt us greasers. They're called Socs."

Ponyboy chocked on a sob. "H-He told me that h-he tried to drown me before" he hiccupped, "and that he was g-gonna do it a-again..."

Sodapop paled and his head shot up to look at Dallas, who was trying his best to contain his swears. Sodapop looked back at Ponyboy, who was staring at him with teary yet hopeful eyes. "Did he...?"

Sodapop bit his lip. He reluctantly told the truth. "Yeah, baby, he did. You're okay now, he won't do it again. We'll protect you." Sodapop saw no point in lying to his brother about the drowning, since he would eventually find out once he remembered, and he would probably blame him for not telling him.

Ponyboy buried his head in Sodapop's chest and cried. Dallas cussed up a storm while Sodapop closed his eyes and rubbed his baby brother's back.

Why did the Socs have to mess everything up now?


	15. The Anger

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Thank you sooo much for the reviews! Wow! 111! I love ya'll so much! Here are my replies:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** Thank for the review. :) Enjoy this chapter. xx**

**BunnyluvsU:**** Yeah. :(**

**Jessieklove:**** Glad you liked it. :) You won't be seeing much of Curly though, I don't really like that character, but I hope this chapter satisfies you.**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Aww thank you. :) I hope this chapter satisifes you even more. :)**

**SuedeBlink:**** Thanks! :) Glad you did. Hope you will. **

**Seth Clearwater:**** Glad you did. :)**

**WatchRain4898:**** That was really sweet of you! (The last line) I can feel you, I do that too with some stories. *Hands tissue* Don't cry on me now! :P**

**FrankElza:**** Yeah, he does. :( He'll get better soon. ;) Thank you for reviewing!**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Thanks! Here's your update! :)**

**Nessie2000 (2):**** Your review made me laugh! If there would be a way, I would get him out of jail in no time, but even in the 2010's, I don't think people charged with murder are out of prison easily. :( You'll hear from him soon! As for your other review regarding the Outsiders play, I'm Johnny's nurse! :P**

**If some of you wondered who I played, well you got your answer! :)**

**tmntlover2013:**** Thank you for your comment and for your review. :)**

**Guest:**** It's for you to read and find out! ;)**

**Well, that about clears it. **

***Now, I'm warning you: I won't be active this week. The next chapter for Early Fire as well as the next chapter for Heartbeat will both be posted next weekend, IF I have the time at all. I have extremely important theatre rehearsals for Outsiders since we're presenting in exactly three weeks from now and I need to focus on my lines and on my character. Plus, I babysit all week and I have a music show next weekend, so I might not even be able to post my chapters next weekend. If there's ANYTHING, send me a private message and I'll notify you of my progress.**

**Anyway, thank you all for reviewing! And congrats to BunnyluvsU for being my 100th review! Enjoy this chapter!**

XxX

When Darry got home from work that day, the house was empty. No sign of his brothers or Two-Bit anywhere.

He threw his tool belt on the floor before making his way outside to the mailbox. He got one bill, one ad and another letter from Johnny, which reminded him that he should write back to Johnny and tell him about Ponyboy.

He sat down on the recliner and tore open the envelop, grabbing the letter and reading it to himself.

"_Dear Darry,_"

He stopped reading, surprised. How did Johnny know who to write to? He resumed his reading.

"_I'm sorry to hear about Ponyboy. Dally came yesterday afternoon and told me everything._" Darry sighed. "_I wish Pony could write back to me or visit me, but I think it would be better if he didn't know anything about me right now._

_I wish he would be alright, though. I knew he'd have a broken leg and arm, when we rescued him. He was scared and clung to be an awful lot. I was thankful that the firefighters let me help him, or else he'd probably be in worse condition. I still wish he would remember who he was, and who I am. I miss him._

_I miss y'all. Jail sucks, but at least Dally visits me sometimes. I really want to see y'all, though. In fact, I wish I could just hang around your house and get over with the trial and all. I hope y'all gonna be there._

_I'm sorry about everything; the murder, the fire and dragging Ponyboy with me. It's my fault he got drowned, and my fault he got stuck in the church. Whenever he remembers me, tell him I'm sorry._

_Johnny_"

Darry lowered the letter and blankly stared at the wall. Poor Johnny, he thought, he doesn't deserve to go through this. Darry bit his bottom lip. He felt guilty about not visiting Johnny. He vowed that he would visit Johnny with Two-Bit and probably Steve too while Sodapop would take care of Ponyboy at home. Then, Sodapop would get to see him too.

Just as he thought about them, the front door busted opened and said boys walked in, wheeling Ponyboy in, all with worry and anger on their faces. "Hey," Darry greeted the gang and his brothers, and only then he noticed how tense they looked. "What happened?"

"We got jumped," Two-Bit sheepishly stated. Darry closed his eyes, counted to ten and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a trick his dad thought him to calm down when his brothers would piss him off or when he'd be stressed out about finals.

"What did I tell you about hanging around town?" Darry hissed. He wasn't yelling, but Two-Bit knew he was mad. In a way, yelling would be better. "I told you not to go too far, or the Socs would hurt you! You didn't listen, again!"

Dallas stepped in; he was the only one brave enough to confront Darry. "They were walking toward the DX to see Sodapop," he explained as calmly as he could, but Dallas Winston was rarely calm and he was already mad at the Socs. "We found them just as they were about to drive off with your brother."

"Well why didn't you..." Darry started, then shut his mouth, eyes widening. "What? 'Drive off with my brother'? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"They tried to kidnap him," Sodapop said in a shaky voice. He still wasn't quite over it. "They said they'd drown him again. They were the same Socs from that night." Darry paled.

"They stuffed him in their trunk when we reached them," Tim said, having hung out with the gang until they would be home, safe. "We beat 'em unconscious and helped your brother out."

"They brought him to the DX and Two-Bit fetched his meds," Steve added. "Hit him on the face and on his stomach, but he's fine."

"Pony slept a little at the DX," Sodapop concluded. "And we all hung out until we were done with our shifts."

Darry finally looked at Ponyboy, who looked tired but otherwise fine. He had a bandage on his right temple and he held his stomach protectively. "Are you alright, Ponyboy?" he softly asked, kneeling in front of his baby brother.

Ponyboy nodded. "I will be," he softly answered. "Can I go lie down?" Darry reluctantly nodded, lightly pushing Sodapop aside so he could wheel Ponyboy to his room himself.

"I'll let you sleep in my bed for now," Darry said. "I'll wake you for dinner later." At this, Ponyboy frowned a little. "I know you might not be hungry, but you should try to eat a little, Ponyboy. 'Kay?"

"You'll be able to taste my blue mashed potatoes," Sodapop piped in from his position by the door, grinning. Ponyboy smiled too.

"Blue potatoes?" Ponyboy exclaimed, then lightly laughed. Sodapop lovingly looked at him, enjoying Ponyboy's laugh; a sound he hadn't heard for so long, it seemed.

"Yeah, kiddo," he said. "I like to color my food when I cook." He smiled at Ponyboy's face.

A smile tugged at Darry's lips. "Just don't mess up the food itself," he teased.

Sodapop waved him off exaggeratedly. "Yeah yeah, whatever." Ponyboy softly giggled, eyes drooping. Sodapop left to prepare dinner while Darry brushed Ponyboy's bangs back from his forehead.

"Get some sleep, Little Colt," he whispered. He kissed Ponyboy's forehead and got up, making his way to the living room, where only Steve and Two-Bit remained.

"Dal and Tim left?" Darry asked. Steve nodded.

"They had something to do," Two-Bit said with a shrug.

"Whatever it is," Steve added.

Darry had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had a feeling he knew what it was they had to do.

XxX

Tim and Dallas were strolling down to the Dingo, sleeves rolled up, muscles flexed and scowls on their faces. The Socs they passed by actually didn't mess with them. They looked murderous.

A couple of the Brumly boys along with other hoods were standing by the alley across from the Dingo, so Tim and Dallas joined them, cussing at a car as the driver honked at them.

"So," Bruce, Brumly leader, casually said, "what you fuckers want?"

Tim cussed at them good-naturedly. "I need a fucking rumble, man."

Dallas leaned back against the brick wall and slouched. "They jumped the Curtis kid."

"No shit," one hood said, while Bruce stared at him.

"You talkin' 'bout Ponyboy Curtis, the kid in a wheelchair and with no memory?" Bruce asked. Dallas gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Jumped him an' Two-Bit by the DX," Tim explained. "They were 'bout to dump the kid in their trunk and drown him again." Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Fucking Socs," Dallas concluded angrily. "They walk around like they own this fucking town."

"Socs got some nerve," Bruce agreed. "Tell ya what. I'll have a 'chat' with the first Soc I see; make 'em spread word of a rumble around." He grinned, showing animal-like teeth. "Then, well, I'll make sure he ain't gonna be in it."

Tim shook his hand. "We got ourselves a deal."

Just as Bruce was about to add something, they heard shouts coming from the Dingo. Tim peeked from his spot against the alley's brick wall and immediately shouted a "Hey!" before running toward the area of the shouts. Dallas looked as well and instantly ran after the Shepard leader, followed by Bruce and a couple of hoods.

Curly Shepard was surrounded by six Socs, along with his friend Mark Jennings, who were both frankly getting the shit kicked out of them despite their strength.

With as much force as he could muster, Tim slammed into one of the Socs, who stumbled and fell on another Soc, unconscious from the force of Tim's tackle. As the other Soc tried to get up, Tim proceeded in beating the shit out of him, punching him on the face and on the ribs numerous times.

Dallas tackled another Soc and kicked him anywhere he could think of while he fought off another Soc with his arms and fists.

Finally, Bruce caught the last two Socs by their necks and slammed their foreheads against each other, knocking the both of them out. The other hoods kicked the Socs once or twice before helping Tim with Curly and Mark.

Mark had passed out from the pain while Curly had his eyes half-opened and he tried to fight unconsciousness. He groaned and weakly swung at Tim as the Shepard leader tried to pick him up, and without thinking, Dallas socked him on the temple, knocking him out. Tim looked at him in thanks; both hoods knew that Curly would be much better knocked out than conscious and feeling the pain.

Bruce stared at Tim and Dallas coolly. He never understood their relationship; they could buddy around for one second and then they would try to kill each other the next. Despite that, he, along with every other Tulsa hood, respected the duo. They were probably the toughest of the bunch, especially Dallas, who had lived in the rough city of New York and had much more experience than any of them ever will.

"Damn Socs jumped my brother two times in two days," Tim raged while he slung Curly on his shoulder like a potato sack and effortlessly carried him. Dallas stared at the Brumly leader but mostly spoke to Tim.

"I'm gonna have a chat with Darry Curtis," he stated, "and we're gonna settle a date for the rumble. This shit needs to stop."

It was agreed by every hood. The Socs needed to be stopped once and for all.


	16. The Mistake

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'm temporarily back! I didn't have any school today so I took it as an opportunity to update! Here are my replies for my reviews:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Thank you! I was insecure about how I wrote Darry's reaction but I guess I got him good! Thanks! :)**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you!**

**WatchRain4898: *Pushes trashcan next to you* I hope you managed to survive until now! :o Thank you for your review! And yes :( *hugs Johnny* poor Johnnycakes! **

**GreaserG1rl201: Aww, gee, thanks! Your review melted my heart :) I'm glad you love my story!**

**BunnyluvsU: *In the same sing-song voice* We're gonna beat those fuckers' heads in...YEAH! :P * Yeah, I'm Johnny's nurse (as I said before) and I really like my role! :) Thank you for the review!**

**Jessieklove: Thank you! I was hoping there was enough toughness but since you liked it, I guess there was! :)**

**FrankElza: Why thank you :) I hope this update satisfies you xx**

**tmntlover2013: You were in a choir? Cool! I never really liked performing on a stage, I'm pretty shy, but I'm slowly getting used to it (slowly meaning that I participated in almost every school show this year, compared to last year when I didn't do anything ^^") Thank you for the review and the comment about the show! I'll try not to litterally break a leg, though! A nurse with a broken leg won't be any good! :P**

**The Curtis Crew (2): My dream would be to meet all of the Greaser actors, even Emilio, Tom, Matt and Ralph! If I could meet one (or two) of them, I'd be satisfied enough... &amp; Don't feel guilty about that! I actually have to be reminded to review a lot more since I'm not that much of a reviewer, though I love tons of stories! Don't feel bad about asking, it's my pleasure! And I'm glad you like my story so much! I love yours too! :)**

**Well, I guess that settles the reviews! Thank you everyone!**

**Now, I have good news and bad news. Bad news are that the next update might only be in two or three weeks, since I have a busy calendar so far. I'll try to squeeze in a couple of minutes each day to at least write a little!**

**The good news are, that after four years of writing, I finally came up with an idea for an ACTUAL NOVEL! If you want to know what it will be about, PM me! :D **I WON'T DESERT MY FANFICS, THOUGH! I'll finish my fanfics, but I'll also be working on my novel at the same time! Eventually, in a couple of years, maybe two or three, it will get published for sure! You'll hear from me! :)**

**Well, I think that's enough for the Author's Note! Enjoy the chapter, and until next time, R &amp; R please! Thank you so much, love y'all! xxx**

XxX

"_Dear Johnny,_

_I'm sorry about not telling you about Ponyboy. I'm also sorry for not visiting you. I'll go right after work tomorrow._"

_Johnny smiled as he read the letter. Darry worked really hard, but no matter what, he would always make some time for the gang._

"_The Socs have been brewing trouble, jumping every greaser and hood, every chance they got. They jumped Ponyboy and Two-Bit earlier today when they were going to the DX._" Johnny's eyes widened._ Poor Pony,_he thought. "_Tim and Dallas saved them before they could actually hurt them, but the Socs tried to kidnap Pony and drown him in the park fountain again._" Johnny paled. "_Ponyboy's fine now._

_It's an all-out warfare all over the city. Dallas and Tim met with the Brumly Boys to call a rumble against the Socs, and then they asked me to officially call it. They figured I would also start it. This rumble will be extremely important; it might stop the feud between Greasers and Socs once and for all_." Johnny bit his lip. He could only hope so.

"_We miss you, kiddo. It's weird not having you sleep on our couch or have Pony ask me to hang out with you. Everything's changed._

_Of course we'll go to court. We'll testify about how of a good kid you can be. I'm sure we'll win this by a long shot, and then it will all be alright._

_Don't go blaming yourself about Pony's condition. None of us blame you, so you can't blame yourself too. Hopefully in a few days, Pony will remember you and tell you that too._

_Take care of yourself._

_Darry_"

Johnny put down the letter, buried his face in the crook of his arm and cried.

XxX

When Dallas sauntered in the house later on, dinner was just done. As promised, Soda had colored his mashed potatoes blue, along with green carrots and a bright red chicken in the middle of the table. Dallas groaned upon seeing the meal.

"I swear, Sodapop, you always have to mess the damn food up," he said, staring at a grinning Sodapop.

"At least it's edible!" Sodapop proudly stated.

"I'm not sure about the carrots, pal," Two-Bit retorted, scrunching his face up in mock disgust.

"Then maybe you could just eat at your own house, Two-Bit," Sodapop spat, faking anger.

"Well maybe I—"

"Alright, that's enough," Darry scolded, a small smile tugging at his lips anyway from the boys' usual banter. "Sodapop, go wake Ponyboy up." Sodapop nodded, sticking his tongue at Two-Bit as he dodged a punch aimed at his shoulder. Two-Bit grinned at him and shook his head.

Sodapop made his way to Darry's bedroom, where Ponyboy was sound asleep, hugging a pillow like his life depended on it. _He looks so peaceful_, Sodapop mentally noted. "Hey, kid, wake up," he softly said, reluctantly shaking the boy awake.

"Go 'way," Ponyboy mumbled, clutching the pillow tighter and burying his face in it. Sodapop chuckled at the typical behavior of his baby brother when it came to wake him up. He knew exactly how to.

He leaned down so his face was right by Ponyboy's ear, and whispered, "Wakey wakey, Ponyboy..." He grinned when Ponyboy shook his head. "If you don't, I'll have to wake you up by myself, and it won't be pretty..." he exclaimed in a hushed sing-song voice. Still, Ponyboy didn't move.

"Alright, hard way it is," Sodapop smirked, then delicately ran his fingers on Ponyboy's sides and belly, making the boy start to squirm, a smile tugging at his lips. Sodapop started laughing as Ponyboy started giggling, trying to swat his brother's hands away unsuccessfully. He tried to protect his stomach while his laughter increased, but Sodapop pinned his arm with one of his hands while he kept tickling Ponyboy with the other.

"S-Stop!" Ponyboy stuttered in his laughter. He twisted so he would stare at Sodapop. "Soda-a-a! S-Stop-p i-it!" By now, he had tears in his eyes form laughing, and he trying to twist away from Sodapop's hand, to no avail.

"Say Uncle!" Sodapop said, laughing at the tears on Ponyboy's cheeks, which he caused by tickling the boy.

"U-Uncle!" When Sodapop let go of him but faked hesitation and lowered his hand back on his stomach, Ponyboy gasped. "P-Please, Soda! N-No!" he begged with a grin and a helpless expression.

Sodapop laughed. "Alright, kiddo, I'll stop," he said, ruffling Ponyboy's hair affectionately. Ponyboy shot him a crooked grin and reached to ruffle Sodapop's hair, which he couldn't do since Sodapop ducked at the last second.

"No fair!" Ponyboy said, giggling. He started to sit up but winced as he felt a pain shoot in his stomach. He hadn't felt it when Sodapop tickled him, but now he sure did.

Sodapop's smile instantly faded. "You okay, Pony?"

Ponyboy nodded while he lied back down, holding his stomach. "Yeah, just hurts a little. I'll be fine."

Sodapop carefully helped him sit up. "You feel up to eat anything?" he asked his younger brother.

Ponyboy thought about it, then nodded. He wasn't really hungry, but he had promised his oldest brother that he would eat something. Plus, he couldn't wait to taste Sodapop's 'blue mashed potatoes'. He smiled at his older brother. "Sure."

Sodapop smiled back at him and helped him sit up in the wheelchair. When Ponyboy settled down, Sodapop wheeled him in the kitchen and grabbed him a plate while Ponyboy stared at the food in awe.

"How'd you do that?" he asked Sodapop, who grinned at him.

"My secret," he winked at the younger boy, who shook his head with a grin of his own. Soon, Darry and Steve joined in, which left Two-Bit, who had already eaten something earlier at the Dingo, and Dallas, who wasn't in the mood to eat Sodapop's colored food.

The first few minutes were silent, when suddenly Darry spoke. "Ponyboy," he started, making Ponyboy look up at him, "do you think you'd be ready to start back school tomorrow?"

Ponyboy kept his mouth shut, but Sodapop could see that it was stressing him out. "I don't think he's in a good enough condition, Darry," he said, rubbing Ponyboy's back while said boy kept staring at Darry wordlessly.

"It would be better than staying here alone," Darry retorted, glancing at Two-Bit pointedly.

"I don't wanna be mean, Superman," Darry scowled at the nickname while Two-Bit spoke, "but the kid probably doesn't remember what he learned last week, much less what his classes are."

"Well, it would make him something to do!" Darry said. He felt like everyone was against him and that he was the bad guy, and he hated that feeling, but he only wanted what was best for his baby brother, and if it meant doing something in school, then he'd send Ponyboy to school tomorrow.

"Maybe he could visit Johnny," Steve shrugged, but regretted it the second he spoke. He paled, thinking, _Oh, shit_,while Sodapop dropped his fork on his plate and Darry wheeled around to glare at him. Something flickered in Ponyboy's eyes and he turned to stare at Steve.

"Johnny? Who's Johnny?"

Dallas and Two-Bit, who had been playing a poker game in the living room, ran in the kitchen, having heard Steve talk about Johnny.

"Johnny is Tim Shepard's baby brother," Dallas quickly lied. "He got jumped yesterday by the same guys who tried to hurt you earlier today, and he was just resting home. It ain't a good idea for you to stay with him; he won't be able to protect you if the Socs try to hurt you again."

"Dally's right," Darry said, glaring intently at Steve, who gulped and slowly got up. Darry turned to Ponyboy and his eyes softened. "I won't send you to school tomorrow, okay Ponyboy? I'll let you stay with me during work. Is that okay?"

Ponyboy pondered the idea in his head and then smiled, nodding at Darry. "Yeah, okay." Darry smiled back at him. "Darry, can I go take a bath?"

Darry glanced at Ponyboy's plate, which had barely been touched, and sighed. Ponyboy did need to wash himself after all. "Sure, let Soda go with you. I'll save you your plate for tomorrow, okay?"

Ponyboy nodded and smiled as Sodapop wheeled him to the bathroom while grabbing plastic bags to wrap around his casts and clothes for him to wear after. Darry glared back so hatefully at Steve that the young mechanic flinched.

"You stupid idiot," Darry hissed at him. "I'm inches away from punching you straight on the jaw, _a second time_."

"I'd deserved it," Steve muttered, feeling like shit for talking about Johnny in front of Ponyboy.

"You owe us big, Randle," Dallas hissed at him and raised his fist in the air, only to slam it on the table. "You owe _me_ big."

"I know, I know," Steve said. Two-Bit, for once, kept his mouth shut and watched the exchange.

"I think I'm gonna leave," the rusty-haired greaser stated after a few seconds of silence. "Ma's gonna want me to watch over my sister." He left the group with a wave of his hand.

"I think I'll make my leave too," Steve uneasily stated. He grabbed his jacket from the hanger and opened the door when Darry caught up with him.

"Steve, you may've made a mistake, but you can still crash on our couch at night." Steve only nodded before shutting the door behind him. Darry could only hear the soft thumps of Steve's footsteps as he walked down the porch stairs and away from the house.

"Might as well leave too," Dallas said. He stared at Darry. "I can take care of the kid tomorrow, no sweat, Dar. I don't have anything to do and I doubt the Socs will try to jump me a second time." He cracked his knuckles for emphasis.

"Thanks," Darry acknowledged, "but I'd rather have him with me at work. The site ain't that far anyway. You can come and pick him up if there's anything wrong."

Dallas coolly nodded at Darry as he left, leaving the young man alone in his house with his two brothers in the bathroom and tenseness in the air.


	17. The Work Morning

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'm sorry for the long updates! As you know, I've been extremely busy with my classes (intense exams) and my Outsiders play, which has gone great, by the way! Check out My Second Family, a one-shot I wrote about it, for the curious ones who want to know what happened the day of my play!**

***Clears throat* Anyway...I still have a few rehearsals since we're presenting the play at a festival, but besides that, exam time is pretty much over for now, so I'll be able to update a little faster! And here are my review replies:**

**Seth Clearwater: Glad you did!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Thank you, thank you aaand thank you! :)**

**Jessieklove: I hope this satisfies you. :) And thank you for the review!**

**GreaserG1rl201: I'm glad you like the story so much, it makes me want to write it more and more. :)**

**WatchRain4898: Your first line made me laugh! Maybe it's the fact that it was two in the morning when I saw it and I was pretty much extremely tired and laughed at everything, but still! :P I'm sorry about the long waits, I'm really trying to update as fast as I can. :/ I'll be able to easier now!**

**BunnyluvsU: I wish I could be a smooth liar like Dally, but Dally's unique, so I can't. ;) and thank you for the review! Oh, how I'd wish to be tickled awake by those Curtis brothers...having Darry pin me on his chest while Sodapop tickles my ribs and Ponyboy tickles my feet wouldn't even be called tickle torture; I'd be in heaven! xD Sorry...anyway, hope you'll love this chapter!**

**tmntlover2013: Good news; I didn't have a broken leg while playing Johnny's nurse. ;) I was extremely stressed out, though, but my performance turned out to be much better than during the rehearsals! I'm also glad that you can relate. Now, I hope you like this chapter, and thank you. :)**

**FrankElza: Thank you so much for the detailed review, I appreciated dearly as always. :)**

**PinkAmy: New reviewer, yay! :D I must admit that I've read a few of your stories and I liked them too! I'm glad you reviewed. :) Enjoy this chapter! And don't be shy to PM me to ask questions about my novel. :)**

**Nessie2000: Frankly, I can't wait for Ponyboy to remember Johnny, but all in due time, and he will sooner than you think. ;) Thank you for the review! I will PM you soon. :) Enjoy this chapter!**

**Glitter Slouch: Thank you for the review, it made me smile. :)**

**Well, that pretty much sums up the author's note! I have nothing else much to say, so until the next update, please R &amp; R and enjoy this chapter! xxx**

XxX

The next day, as planned, Darry woke Ponyboy up and helped him get dressed. He quickly cooked breakfast, knowing that he would leave before Sodapop did and that his younger brother would at least have more time to eat.

He left a note for Sodapop on the kitchen table and wheeled Ponyboy outside, helping him hop in the truck as he folded the wheelchair and dropped it in the trunk. Ponyboy shifted a little in his seat but soon managed to sit comfortably and buckle his seatbelt. Darry revved the engine, which spluttered a bit, and he made a mental note that he'd get it checked by Sodapop and Steve when he got back from work. Shortly after, he left the driveway and rode away from his street.

He glanced at Ponyboy from time to time and noticed that the boy looked tired. He had his head in his hand, the other arm resting on his leg, and his eyes sometimes drooped. He also shivered.

Darry waited until they were at the construction site before checking on Ponyboy, who was, by then, asleep. He shook the boy awake, who simply grumbled and tried to move away from his brother's hand. Darry frowned and pressed the back of his hand on Ponyboy's forehead. It was warm.

_I hope he doesn't get sick now_, Darry thought. _I can't believe I didn't notice it this morning. Maybe I oughta bring him back home. _Just as he thought that, Ponyboy groaned, rubbing his eyes with his fist and stretching as he groaned again.

"Where are we?" he groggily asked Darry. He moaned as the sunlight shined on his eyes as he shifted position, and covered his eyes with his uninjured arm.

"We're at work," Darry answered, "but I oughta bring you home. You don't look so good, kiddo."

"I feel fine," Ponyboy protested. Darry smirked to himself; Ponyboy sounded so much like his old self. Maybe he was gonna remember him soon. "'Sides, I wanna watch you work. I have nothing better to do."

Darry sighed. "You could rest." He grinned. "You sure you wanna see me bust my ass on the roof?"

"Why not?" Ponyboy shrugged with a hint of a grin. Darry chuckled and ruffled Ponyboy's hair.

"Alright, then," he conceded, "but if you don't feel well, you just holler or tell one of the workers. Got it?"

Ponyboy nodded. "Can I get out? Of the truck, I mean. I'd rather sit on my wheelchair." He paused. "If...it's okay."

"Yeah, sure," Darry said without hesitation. "I'd rather have you closer to me than cooped up in the truck." He got out of the truck and unfolded the wheelchair, setting it on the ground in a safe distance from the passenger door as he opened it and picked Ponyboy up. He set his younger brother on the wheelchair and settled him carefully. He smiled at him as Ponyboy looked up, and Ponyboy smiled back.

Darry wheeled him to where his boss was standing, not far from the house under construction. The boss noticed him and smiled at the worker he was talking to before making his way toward Darry. "Good morning, Darrel."

"'Morning," Darry answered. He looked at Ponyboy and then back at his boss. "There any place safe that I can park him at?"

The boss rubbed his chin and looked around. He finally stopped his gaze on the old tree next to the left wing of the house. That was where Darry would work for the day anyway, so he wouldn't be too far. Darry agreed and wheeled Ponyboy over there.

He placed Ponyboy so he could be both comfortable and able to watch Darry at the same time. "You alright here now, kiddo?" Darry asked him.

"I'm fine," Ponyboy said, then paused. "Darry, do you have a pen and paper?"

Darry looked at his baby brother skeptically, but then smiled. Ponyboy loved writing and drawing. Maybe he would remember that he used to love that. "Lemme check with the boss to get you a pad and a pencil." Ponyboy nodded his thanks and waited as Darry got, as said, the sketch pad, which was about size 5x7 and got him an eraser and pencil. "There, you can keep yourself occupied for a few hours with that," Darry said. "I gotta go now."

"'Kay," Ponyboy said. "Thanks." Darry smiled and ruffled Ponyboy's ungreased hair. The boy hadn't wanted to grease it this morning, which saddened Darry a bit since Ponyboy always used to put hair grease, but Ponyboy's hair was better natural, anyway.

Ponyboy unsuccessfully ducked and laughed as he replaced his hair in what he hoped would look decent since he had no mirror to look at himself and check.

Darry left his baby brother to his thoughts as he headed to work, trying not to carry two bundles at a time. Sodapop had threatened to skin him if he carried two bundles, and even told him that Ponyboy would report to him if he did, to which Darry answered with a mock glare and Ponyboy, with a laugh.

Ponyboy thought about how nice his brothers and the gang had been to him so far. He also thought about his lifestyle; like how he dressed up—he remembered the way Two-Bit had dressed his hair too—and his habits; like how he could never be left alone. From what he knew, he was fourteen, and otherwise old enough to take care of himself, but he didn't mind the company. Besides, he felt like he was slowly regaining his memory.

He could faintly remember going to this place called The Dingo to hang out with Sodapop, Steve and Two-Bit. He could also remember the Nightly Double and going there often to watch movies.

He vaguely remembered a tall, broad-shouldered and muscular man who looked a lot like Darry. Maybe it was Darry? But he looked older, somehow. He remembered a somewhat tall woman with golden, curly hair and a bright smile, leaning on the Darry-look-alike and hugging three boys. The only one he could recognize in his hazy memory was Sodapop. He deducted that the bigger one was probably Darry, but who was the smallest? Him?

He decided to draw the picture on paper. He remembered it clearly, and managed to get every detail nearly perfectly. What he couldn't see, he shaded.

"Hey, kid."

Ponyboy jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder and a gruff voice. The voice's owner stepped into his vision, and he recognised Dallas Winston. Ponyboy breathed in relief. "Hey, Dallas."

"You can call me Dal or Dally, I don't care," the hood told the boy. Ponyboy shrugged as an understanding.

Dallas peeked on the sketch pad and noticed the drawing. "You drew that, kiddo?" It was a stupid question and he knew it, but he had always enjoyed the boy's drawings, especially when they were about him. He found it odd that Ponyboy would draw him, especially when he was in a bad mood, but the details were stunning and the youngest Curtis brother certainly had talent.

"Yeah, don't quite know what it represents, though," Ponyboy sadly answered.

"That's your family," Dallas informed the boy, regretting saying it, but he decided to tell him anyway. After all, it could help with his memory.

"My...family?" Ponyboy asked in awe. "You mean that the man and woman are my parents?"

Dallas sucked in a breath. "Yeah, kid, they are."

"Dally," Ponyboy started, and Dallas knew that he was screwed. "How come I didn't see them yet? Don't they care?"

The way Ponyboy's voice sounded, how lost and broken he looked...Dallas nearly lost his cool. The boy clearly didn't remember his parents' deaths—or anything else, for that matter—and it would be hard to break it to him.

Dallas was saved, however, when a horn blew, announcing lunch time. He and Ponyboy both watched as Darry climbed down the ladder and went to the truck. He grabbed his lunch box and made his way over to the tree where the two greasers were waiting.

"Darry," Ponyboy brokenly said, "where're Mom and Dad?"

Darry sent a subtle glare to the hood, wordlessly telling him that he shouldn't have brought them up, but then he saw the sketch pad out of the corner of his eyes and he realised that Dallas hadn't meant to. How Ponyboy managed to draw them was a mystery to the two older boys.

"Ponyboy," Darry gently started, kneeling down next to the boy, "they're dead. That's why you haven't seen them yet, honey; I took custody of you and Sodapop and I've been your guardian ever since."

Ponyboy sniffled. "They...died...? But I—I don't even remember them!"

Darry's heart froze as he heard the silent cries of his baby brother gradually become louder until he was sobbing. "Oh, Pony..." He wrapped Ponyboy in his strong hug, letting the boy cry in his chest as he mumbled 'Mom' and 'Dad' over and over. Darry whispered sweet nothings in Ponyboy's ears to soothe the boy.

Finally, he let go and wiped the tears away off Ponyboy's cheeks. "You wanna visit their graves tonight, kiddo? It'll be just the three of us; Sodapop, you and I." Ponyboy simply nodded, trying to keep upcoming cries.

"Want me to take him home, Dar?" Dallas suggested, and Darry slumped his shoulders in defeat. Clearly, he couldn't watch Ponyboy, and who was to tell that Ponyboy wouldn't just start crying again? Then, he'd be alone with only his sorrow to accompany him.

A cough interrupted his thoughts. Ponyboy was starting to cough and choked from unshed tears. Darry stood up and rubbed his brother's back as the boy slowly stopped coughing. Ponyboy sniffled again, and Darry was afraid that he was actually starting to get sick.

Darry checked the boy's forehead a second time and, sure enough, it was a little warmer than earlier. He cursed under his breath when he realised that Ponyboy should've stayed in the truck; being exposed to the fresh air couldn't have helped. Better yet; he should've checked in the morning and made him stay home.

"Sure," Darry finally agreed. "He should get some rest, anyway. He seems to be getting sick. Give him some medicine and make sure he sleeps. _Stay with him_ or get Two-Bit to watch over him before I get back home from work, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Dallas answered, gripping the handles of the wheelchair and watching as Ponyboy cleared his throat.

"You take care of yourself, kiddo," Darry said, brushing his brother's hair. "Okay? Two-Bit might check up on you later in the afternoon, but I want you to take some medicine and get some sleep if you want to be in better shape for school. There's no point in making you start this week anyway, so you'll have a few more days to rest."

"Sure, Darry," Ponyboy said. "Are we still gonna visit," he choked out, "Mom and Dad's graves...tonight?"

Darry pursed his lips. "I'd rather you get better before going outside again, okay? We're gonna visit them before you go to school; the graves aren't gonna move from where they sit."

Ponyboy slowly nodded and reached out to give his big brother a hug. Darry was glad that Ponyboy was being so affectionate; he got a chance to be closer. It pained him to know that after their parents' deaths, the both of them had been drifting apart from each other, but now that he had the chance to make things better, he gladly took that chance.

Darry hugged Ponyboy back and said his goodbyes to him and Dallas, who was patiently waiting behind the wheelchair, ready to bring Ponyboy home. He nodded at Darry before wheeling Ponyboy to the car he 'borrowed' from Buck, and Darry could only stand there and watch as his baby brother was separated from him, even as the work horn blew again in a distance.


	18. The Girls

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**WOW! 16 reviews! That has to be the most I've had so far for a chapter! Thank you! Here are my replies:**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Thank you! &amp; actually, he just started getting sick in the last chapter, not before ;) I'm glad that you liked it!**

**BunnyluvsU: I love it too, but I'm sure Dally doesn't! :P**

**GreaserG1rl201: I'm glad you do! I admit I was tearing up while writing it, 'cause it is sad not to remember about our own parents! Don't worry, Ponyboy will pull out just fine! I'd never hurt him emotionally more than that. ;)**

**WatchRain4898: Loved the endless "Aawwwwweee", it made me smile! And thank you for the last line! I didn't think it was random. It's only fair that I answer to my reviews when I get them, and so far, I've barely had guest reviews, so if there's anything, I can PM the reviewers if they have questions or something! :) Your reviews are always fun to read, so thank you so much for also supporting me in the story!**

**mycookiegirl: Thank you! :)**

**Jessieklove: I like it too, it shows that even though Dally is tough, he still cares, as he should.**

**FrankElza: Thank you, as always your review was touching. :) I agree, Darry; always the respondible one! :) xx**

**darrylover4ever: It feels like it's been forever every time I update, so I get your feeling! And don't worry, I won't give up on the story. :)**

**Nessie2000: I love the fact that your reviews are always long and fun to read, it makes me happy. :) Don't worry, you're not whiny. x) I agree, watching someone close to you struggle is never fun, I've had my fair share of that. :( &amp; don't be stressed out for your Musical, it turns out that the stress made me perform better on mine, so I'm sure you'll be at your very best during the opening play as well. :) We're performing it again on May 9 so I'm just as stressed as you are!**

**Amanda: Sadly, if it wouldn't have happened in the last chapter, it would've happened later. :/ Thank you for the review!**

**Tulsa girl (chapter 1): I really love your penname, that will be so me when I'm older! I'll move to Tulsa for sure one day! :P Anyway, I'm glad that you took the time to review even when you're new, that's always fun! I'm also looking forward to where I'll bring the story, but so far, I'm glad everyone likes it! Thank you! :)**

**We'rekindacrazylikethat (4): I love how you update in like 4 chapters in one night, I was thrilled! Thank you so much for the compliments, it's very nice! I agree with you, Dally will always be gallant even if he's a hood, because 'hood' has nothing to do with it! :) Anyway, YAY! I'm glad I have a new fan and follower! Thank you! :D**

**Weeeellll that settles the review replies! Now, for the notices. **

****From May 7 to May 9, I'm going to a competition called Drama Fest, and we'll be presenting The Outsiders play once again! Therefore, i won't be able to update that weekend, but you'll get another one-shot about my experience there! I might be a two-shot though, but for those interested, I hope you'll read it! And check out My Second Family, that's my one-shot about my experience at doing the play at school! This will be my last notice about it, thank you!**

***WOW! THIS STORY IS ALMOST UP TO 11000 VIEWS AND 150 REVIEWS! THAT'S AMAZING! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE SUPPORT, I LOVE YOU ALL!**

***Breathes in and clears throat* Well...that's about it! This chapter will be a short filler chapter but the next one will be longer, I promise! Until then, enjoy!**

XxX

"Oh, Soda!"

Sodapop internally rolled his eyes but smiled at the flock of giggling girls surrounding him. They were four of his "fan girls" as he liked to call. Back when he was a kid, in grade school, some girls had started a 'club', with Sodapop's fans as the only members. Up until today, they hadn't stopped bothering him. The very same ones and more had joined throughout the years.

One girl called Phoebe stepped forward. "You're starting to get sweaty, Sodapop," she stated, desperately trying to flirt. She was one of the news girls in the 'club' and flirting obviously wasn't made for her. "Is it from seeing us all around you?"

"That would be from popping hoods all morning," he said, winking at her. Two of the girls giggled and squealed, eyes wide and cheeks flushed, while the remaining one stepped next to Phoebe.

"Maybe you could pop mine," she purred, running her hand on his chest. She was the bitchy one in the gang, flirting with every guy she saw. "You could start by taking that sweaty shirt off for me."

"Sorry, Kristin, but he has better things to do," a voice said from behind the girls, and all turned to see Steve.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Kristin asked, annoyed.

"Work." _Duh._

She huffed at Steve, smirking as she turned back to Sodapop. "We'll be back for round two." She winked at Phoebe. "Won't we?"

"Y-Yeah, sure," Phoebe answered. "I mean," she muttered, "of course we will," she purred unsuccessfully. With that said, the clingy girls left the gas station, talking to each other and giggling.

"Sometimes I curse my good looks," Sodapop breathed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand and whistling.

"Heck, Soda, they've been after you since grade school," Steve retorted. "I thought by now they'd surrender or something. You owe me."

Sodapop hummed, thinking of how he would repay his best friend, then smirked. "Drag races Friday night, bud?"

Steve grinned. "Hell yeah." He walked back in the garage to finish working on a car just as Sandy and Evie walked in, spotting Sodapop. Evie smiled at him before following her boyfriend's steps in the garage, while Sandy made her way to Sodapop, kissing him fully on the lips. Sodapop wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her back just as enthusiastically.

"Hey beautiful," he said when he broke the kiss. "What brings your fine ass to see me?"

She shook her head and rolled her eyes with a smile. "I was wondering if you had plans for Friday night."

He mentally frowned. He wanted to go to the drag races with Steve only, but he didn't want to blow his girl off. "I did, but maybe I could bring you along. Drag races sound good?"

"Anything as long as I'm with you," she answered, nuzzling his cheek. He smiled fondly at her and nuzzled her nose, causing her to softly giggle.

"Soda the softie," Steve smirked from the garage's door, arms wrapped around Evie.

"You're one to talk, Steve-o." Evie chuckled at the guys' usual banter and kissed Steve again. "We bringing the girls to the drag races?"

Steve shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Sodapop smiled and kissed Sandy one last time as she left go of her embrace and as Evie did the same. "Bye, beautiful. See you tomorrow." The girls left the DX, smiling brightly at their boyfriends.

"She's the reason I embrace my good looks," Sodapop sighed.

XxX

Sodapop and Steve playfully shoved each other around as they made their way back to the Curtis house, bickering about who got the better looks.

"She didn't only choose you for your looks, Soda."

"I wonder why Evie chose you, 'cause you sure as hell don't have the looks!"

"Well, I'm good at popping hoods," Steve bragged.

"About the only thing you can do," Sodapop laughed.

"How would you know?"

Sodapop shook his head while smirking and threw himself on Steve just as they reached the front porch. The two boys rolled on the grass in front of the porch, throwing punches at each other. Finally, Steve managed to keep Sodapop pinned down long enough so that the Curtis brother would call Uncle.

"Still can't beat me," Steve teased.

"One day," was all Sodapop said, pointing at Steve with a grin on his face. His grin however faltered once he walked inside the house.

"Home early? Your truck wasn't outside."

"Two-Bit borrowed it," Darry tiredly answered. "Had to go get his sister, she'll eat with us tonight, so don't mess with the food coloring."

"Why not? Children like that!"

"If she's like Two-Bit, she sure as hell will," Steve muttered.

"How's—"

"Ponyboy's sick. He's resting in his room." Darry sighed. "Dally came to get him from work during lunch time. He called Two-Bit to watch on Ponyboy and left."

"Is Pony alright?" Sodapop asked, concerned.

"He will be," Darry answered. He smiled. "Kid brother's tough, that's for sure."

"He sure is," Sodapop smiled back. "What's he got?"

"Fever, stomach-ache, headache, tiredness...the list goes on and on. He's better now. Dally managed to lower his temperature before it got too high, but the kid was out of it by the time he got here." Darry sighed again. "I shoulda made him stay here. He still needs to rest a lot."

"Hey," Sodapop started, snapping Darry out of his guilt. "None of it is your fault. I shoulda noticed he didn't feel well this morning. Hell, the kid sleeps with me! I should be able to recognize the signs."

"Well, it ain't your job to do that," Darry retorted, "especially not when you were still sleeping when we left."

"Look," Steve interrupted, catching both brothers off guard. "Guilt won't solve a thing. Just take care of the kid and for God's sake, stopping blaming yourselves over a fever! He's had one too many before and he managed fine."

Sodapop sighed. "Sorry, Steve. You're right."

Steve smirked playfully. "Aren't I always?" Sodapop shook his head and smiled, mouthing a 'thanks' to his best friend. Steve lightly chucked him on the shoulder in return. Darry watched the exchange, glad that Steve was there for Sodapop. Steve might be a jerk sometimes and reckless, but he was a good guy, and a good friend to back you up. Darry was thankful of that.

Just like he was thankful to still have Ponyboy alive and relatively well.


	19. The Insecurities

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**As an apology for making you guys wait two weeks or more, I decided to give you an update in the middle of the week! The other one will be this weekend!**

**Thank y'all for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**BunnyluvsU: I like that too :) I think we actually see it in the movie, where Steve asks Ponyboy what's it like to be a hero. That was kinda cute, x3**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you!**

**The Curtis Crew: Awwww it's okay, you'll get your chance! Maybe for the 200th...? Anyway, thank you!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Don't worry, I'll tell them... *punches palm and glares at Sandy and Evie threatingly* I definately enjoyed writing the part with Soda! Thank you! :)**

**GreaserG1rl201: Awww, thank you!**

**Nessie2000: Same goes for messages :') What can I say? We're readers and writers, we're bound to write a lot. By the time you read this, well, I hope there wasn't a strike and that you'll be able to perform your play! &amp; Really? Oh well the one-shot will be your gift! ;) thank you!**

**mycookiegirl: That's Soda for you ;) thank you!**

**Lovetoread75: Great! A new reader! :D I'm really glad you like it. Thank you! &amp; I really love your profile, for a second there I thought it was the sunrise I took the other day! It's pretty similar ;)**

**WatchRain4898: Oh those first three lines :') you crack me up each time hahaha! &amp; I hate Sandy too, she won't be there for long, trust me. Anyway, thank you!**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you!**

**FrankElza: Steve's too cocky for his own good :') and Soda, well, he's Soda. It's one of the chapters I enjoyed writing the most! Thank you. :) xx**

**Aaaand that settles it! Now to clear a couple of stuff:**

**-This chapter was written on my Ipad, so pardon any typos or mistakes.**

**-For those of you who completely hate Sandy and Evie, well, they won't be in the story for long, 'cause I don't like them too, I can assure you.**

**Warning: This chapter contains depression and one little part of the book, which I don't own, but it seemed perfect in the story. Oh and it contains cursing too, but there's cursing in almost every chapter, so I didn't bother to warn that.**

**Anyway, I'm up to about 160 reviews, thank you so much for that, I can assure you that my story is far from finished, I have a few chapters plannd ahead so no Writer's Block in sight, an update from one to two per week. Now, enjoy! :D**

XxX

The next day, on Thursday night, Dallas hung out with the gang at the Curtis house and tried to convince Darry to come with him.

"C'mon, Dar! You know as well as I do that you're gonna be the one to start the rumble; why not call it? Tim's supposed to meet the two of us at the Dingo." The two hoods had heard that some Socs would be there, so then would be the right time to call it.

Darry ran a hand in his hair and sighed. "I don't know, Dal. Ponyboy..."

"...is gonna be just fine," Dallas interrupted. "Soda and Steve are here. We both know Soda; he'll drag Steve to play a freaking poker game in the kid's room! Point is, you always start a rumble, and this one's the most important. You should set the rules."

Darry conceded. "Fine, but it better be short and sweet."

"It'll be anything but sweet."

XxX

As Dallas had said, Tim Shepard was waiting for Darry and him outside the Dingo with a few of his boys. The Brumly leader was also present.

"Winston. Darrel." Tim shook hands with the two while Bruce nodded at them.

"Where are they, so I can get over with it," Darry muttered. Tim pointed to a group of Socs further away in the parking, drinking and laughing. Darry shook his head; alcohol, what a waste.

He started over to them, followed by Dallas, Tim and Bruce. One of the Socs noticed them and nudged the others. Their laughter abruptly subsided to be replaced by either smirks or glares. Their leader jumped out of the car and stood in front, facing the hoods.

Dallas recognized him as David, the Soc who had tried to drown Ponyboy twice and succeeded once. _Soc scum_, he thought, gritting his teeth in a snarl. Tim also recognized the group as the one who jumped Ponyboy and Two-Bit only two days ago. He slouched and glared at them.

"What do you want, greaser?" David growled, gritting out the last word.

"I wanna call a rumble," Darry announced, catching the attention of the other hoods and greasers around. They all ganged up behind him, by his side, because no matter what, greasers and hoods always have each others' backs.

David scoffed. "So I heard. Rules?"

The tenseness in the air was unmistakable. Despite faint car horns and music in the dinner, it was completely silent between the two rival groups. "No weapons, fists only. If the Socs win, things stay the way they are."

David's smug smirk appeared. "What if we lose?" _Not likely to happen_, he thought, the alcohol giving him false courage and making him cocky.

"The Socs leave us alone and stay out of our territory for good. No exception."

"Mmh. When and where?"

"Saturday night, midnight," Darry answered without any hesitation, "vacant lot."

"Mh, we play by your rules, but we'd rather have it elsewhere," David said. "Your park."

Dallas lowly growled. They wanted to fight where their fallen leader had been murdered, and where they had tried to drown the youngest greaser.

Darry coolly nodded. "It's on."

David smirked at all hoods and greasers before hopping back in his car and driving away, the other Socs whooping and shouting at them.

Dallas clapped Darry's back, while Tim nodded at him as soon as their eyes met. "Kid gonna be there?"

Darry slightly paled, fortunately not visibly. He hadn't thought of that.

"My kid sister's supposed to stay home too that night," Tim continued. "You oughta bring him there so he won't be alone."

"Hell no," Dallas snapped. "She's had a crush on him for I don't know how long. I sure as hell don't want your slut of a sister near Pony."

Darry chuckled to himself at Dally's protectiveness, but didn't show his smirk. "Dally's right. The last place I want Ponyboy to go is your house. Last thing I need is to get an amnesiac hormonal kid on my hands."

Dallas shook his head. Darry just told Tim the exact same thing he had told the Shepard leader, in more polite terms. However, Tim wasn't fazed, he in fact agreed with Dallas. His sister sure didn't keep her hands to herself, especially not near the youngest Curtis brother, or any Curtis brother, for that matter.

"I'll figure that out before Saturday night," Darry claimed.

"That's for damn sure," Dallas agreed. He himself could think of a few places, some of which Darry probably wouldn't agree, but the gang would make sure that their youngest member would be safe.

"Wellup, I should head home," Tim finally said. "Gotta watch Curly so he won't do anything stupid." By stupid, he meant jumping some Socs and getting landed back in juvie. That's the last thing Tim needed.

He and Darry shook hands again before going separate ways.

"Feel up to visiting Johnny?" Darry asked the hood sitting on his passenger seat.

"You don't have to ask," Dally replied.

XxX

"Cade, you got visitors."

I gingerly poked my eye, hissing when I realised it was still tender. Earlier today, Peter had led me out of the cell and into the cafeteria with the other prisoners. What a bad idea that had been.

He brought me back in my cell fifteen minutes later and nursed my black eye and bruised side, caused by two Socs, apparently very good friends of Bob. They had been there for a day and hadn't been bailed yet; their parents had figured that a few days in jail would be enough of a punishment.

Dodge, the cop who came to get me, brought me to a secluded room, where both Dally and Darry were waiting. "One hour," he told us, before slamming the door behind him. As soon as he did, Darry leapt and wrapped me in a big hug.

I hugged him just as fiercely, breathing in the scent of his cologne. Boy, had I missed him. I missed the whole gang, for that matter. He patted my back twice and let go.

"I'm so glad you guys came," I told them, almost tearing up, but I kept my tears at bay. Greasers just don't cry.

"I told you I'd visit you," Darry said with a soft smile. "I'll send Sodapop soon, and no doubt Steve'll join him."

"How's Pony?" I asked him. His smile immediately faded.

"He still doesn't remember anything," he sadly stated, "but he seems to be better. He's recovering from a small fever now." He saw my black eye. "Who did this to you?"

I shrugged. "A couple of prisoners. I'm fine, it's nothing."

"You're gonna be fine," Dally said, speaking for the first time. "Ponyboy's gonna be fine, too."

I smiled, because that was the only thing I could do. I had nothing to say, no words to pronounce, and probably no light in my eyes. I was already tired of this place, but it was only the beginning. I'd either get years in jail, harassed by Socs, or sentenced to the electric chair. I think I'd be better off then; at least I wouldn't have to suffer.

"Johnny..." Darry whispered, and I realised that I said the last part out loud.

"Leave us for a minute, will ya?" Dally said, and Darry reluctantly nodded, squeezing my shoulder as he passed next to me. Dally pulled his chair right in front of me and sat down, his face inches from mine.

"You listen here and you listen good," he said, putting one hand on my shoulder and holding my chin with his other hand so I would look at him. His eyes blazed with pale blue fire and I couldn't help but stare at them. "Never, _ever_ say that again. The gang needs you, Pony needs you; hell, I fucking need you. You have no idea how important you are to the gang, and to me. If I have to beg and plead the system to set you free, I'll get on my fucking knees and do it. Point is, don't lose hope when you need it most. You get smart like me, you don't get hurt. You get tough like me and nothing can touch you."

I nodded in his palm, tears blurring my vision. "Aw hell, Johnny," I heard him mutter, before he wrapped his muscular arms around me, pulling me close. I buried my face on his chest and finally let the tears go, wrapping my shaking arms around his mid-back and sobbing, unaware of Darry's presence at the door.


	20. The Brothers

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**As I said in the previous chapter, here's your weekendly update! Now, I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get a lot of reviews; I thought I did a pretty good job at writing it...I was hoping for someone to mention the part with the Socs too (thank you, FrankElza) but I shoulda known you'd all mention Johnny! I need y'all to tell me if I'm making him too weak or if he's in character, 'cause I can't judge my own story! Now, for the replies:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: It's Sandy I don't really like. x) I've never minded Cherry either though, I think she was a clever character in S E Hinton's story that we all love! Anyway, thank you for the long review, it's very sweet. :)**

**BunnyluvsU: Not too many chapters left before the rumble, I promise! Hehe :) Thank you!**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you!**

**GreaserG1rl201: Aww, thank you for the compliment! It means a lot! :)**

**WatchRain4898: Oddly, some stories don't make me cry even though they're really sad. (Then again, it depends in what mood I'm in, sometimes all I wanna do is cry haha.) I'm not mean, but I'm kinda glad that you cried, since I know then that I put enough emotion in my chapters. :) I don't want to write a plotless, emotionless story! Anyway, thank you so much!**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you!**

**FrankElza: That's what happens when you have a lot of time for yourself; your memories and secrets surface in your head and all you can do is think of them. I hope Johnny was spot-on. And thank you! I can't wait to see how the rumble will turn out as well. :)**

**Lovetoread75: I'm glad you think they're in character! I personally thought that Dally sounded too soft...I guess he was fine, then! Thank you for the justified review, I love it when people explain what they like, and you're welcome. :)**

**There, that settles it! Now, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Only a few chapters before the long awaited rumble! *coughBunnyluvsUcough* In the mean time, R &amp; R please, and enjoy!**

XxX

"Soda?"

"Yeah?"

A pause, then, "What were Mom and Dad like?"

Sodapop sucked in a breath, as if he had been punched. "You..Darry told you about them, right?"

Ponyboy frowned. "Just told me that they were at the cemetery. What were they like, before...y'know?"

Sodapop rubbed the back of his neck. Steve had left a few minutes earlier, and he and Ponyboy were alone. Something that, for once, he felt uncomfortable of, especially now. "Well..." _How to start_, he thought. "Physically, Darry is Dad's twin, except their eye color. Dad had eyes just like mine," he smiled.

"I know that," Ponyboy stated, "I drew them yesterday." He looked for the sketchpad, spotting it on his desk. Sodapop fetched it and immediately froze.

The drawing was about their family when Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy were younger. Darry was about eight, he had just turned five, and Ponyboy was two. The details were perfect; Mr. Curtis' muscular built, Mrs. Curtis' loving eyes and golden, curly locks—although colorless on the drawing—, Darry's cool hair. Sodapop remember how cool he found his big brother's hair back when they were children.

He looked at the drawing further, noting how carefree he looked, much more than he was now, and how energetic he was. Nearly drove his parents up a wall at that age.

Sodapop chuckled to himself, making Ponyboy look up and weakly smile. Sodapop noticed and sat next to his baby brother, showing him the drawing, where Ponyboy was.

Both brothers thought that Ponyboy was the most perfectly drawn of the five family members. He had wide eyes and messy hair that made him look extremely cute. He had been a calm baby, almost never crying, always laughing. Sodapop had always been by his side, insisting on sleeping in the crib with his baby brother. Even as a toddler, there was never a moment when Sodapop left Ponyboy alone, and until today, it had never changed.

Sodapop launched himself in memories of his past which all included the youngest Curtis brother. Ponyboy listened intently, laughing at the funny escapades and blushing at the embarrassing ones.

Sadly, he couldn't remember any of them. Of course, they were of when he was a baby, and even someone who has their complete memory wouldn't remember those early years, but he wished he could actually recall anything, mostly about his family. He hung his head sadly, already having tuned out Sodapop.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped in spite of himself. "Ponyboy? You okay?"

He nodded; he couldn't think of anything to answer. Sodapop cupped his chin and raised his head so he would look in his eyes. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

"I-I just..." Ponyboy shook his head, breaking Sodapop's gentle grip on his chin. "I just wish I could remember something." He hung his head again and sniffed, willing tears to go away. He was tired of crying.

Sodapop bit his lip and sucked in another breath. "I wish I could help you more, Little Buddy."

Ponyboy looked up at him, tears brimming in his eyes. "You don't understand! I'm tired of this! I wanna remember you guys; I wanna remember who I was! Is that too much to ask for?" He burst crying.

Sodapop's heart shattered in thousands of pieces upon hearing how broken Ponyboy sounded. He wrapped his arms around Ponyboy, but this time the boy weakly pushed him away, breaking his heart even more. "Please, Soda, leave me alone," he whispered. "I'm tired..." _Of everything_, were the unspoken words, but Sodapop understood, as usual, though it still hurt him.

He helped Ponyboy lie down on their bed and tucked the younger boy in, wrapping the comfortable sheets around him. He kissed Ponyboy's forehead gently, ignoring the flinch that pained him even more, and reluctantly left his baby brother alone in his room.

XxX

When, Darry came back, that night, he was as shaken as the middle Curtis brother, having witnessed the gang's pet sob in his idol's arms. A tough hood comforting a sobbing greaser was hard to watch.

However, he noticed Sodapop's mood instantly when entering the house. The teen was wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the couch, curled up in a ball, hardly watching the TV show playing on the screen of their old set. He was sniffing and even in the dark, Darry could tell that his eyes were red.

"Sodapop? What's wrong?" he asked, putting a hand on the teen's shoulder, causing Sodapop to jump.

"He's not doing so well, Dar," Sodapop answered, although he had been too lost in his mind to process Darry's question. "He wants to remember so bad...I wish I could help him."

Darry ran a hand in his hair. "I wish I could too, Little Buddy, but I can't do anything more than care for him and hope for the best."

"Darry, you shoulda heard him," Sodapop insisted. "He burst crying right there. Told me to leave him alone..."

Darry understood why Sodapop had cried. Ponyboy had pushed him away, and although maybe not intentionally, it still hurt their middle brother.

"What did y'all talk about to get him crying?" Sodapop bit his lip, a sign that he had been exploring dangerous territories. "Soda..." Darry warned.

"He asked about Mom and Dad," Sodapop regretfully answered. "Showed me his drawing...I told him about when he was baby. He didn't remember anything."

Darry sighed. "It isn't that bad, Soda. I can't even remember when _I_ was a baby. No one does."

"No, Darry! I know he doesn't recall those times; it's Mom and Dad he's sad about! I told him about times he was a toddler and an older kid, too, but not once did he remember them!"

Darry was shocked at Sodapop's outburst, but now he understood better. He hung his head in guilt, regret flashing in his eyes. He should've been there for his baby brother, but he had gone to see someone Ponyboy didn't even know so far.

"Soda? Darry?"

Both Darry and Sodapop turned when they heard Ponyboy's voice. It thankfully didn't sound distressed, but it did sound lost.

The two older brothers rushed in Ponyboy's room, where said boy was, having trouble sitting up due to shaking. Sodapop immediately sat down on the bed next to his baby brother, and Ponyboy wrapped his arms around him. He hugged him back, mindful of the boy's cast, and gently brushed the back of Ponyboy's head, his fingers in the boy's soft hair.

Darry sat down on the other side of the bed and rubbed circles in Ponyboy's back. Ponyboy jumped at the contact of a third hand, not expecting it, but he slowly relaxed. Sodapop could tell that he wasn't crying, so he wondered why the boy was so clingy all of a sudden, when he had pushed Sodapop away earlier.

"What's the matter, Pony?"

"I'm sorry, Soda," the boy muttered, "for pushing you away." He untangled himself from his brother's embrace. "I just wanna get my memory back, but...I can't do it. Not without you and Darry."

"We'll be there for you no matter what, honey," Darry said, "I promise." He pulled Ponyboy into a hug and then grabbed Sodapop, pulling him closer to the two brothers. Darry and Sodapop both wrapped their arms around Ponyboy, hugging him tightly, and for once, the youngest brother felt safe, like he belonged there.


	21. The Breakup

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**So, I'm back for the weekendly update!**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: I'm glad that Dally and Johnny were IC! Thank you! &amp; No, he can't sneak in the rumble anyway since he's first of all in a wheelchair, and he second of all has trouble lifting himself on the wheelchair with an arm in a cast too. ;)**

**GreaserG1rl201: Awww, thank you for the review and for the compliment!**

**BunnyluvsU: Thank you! :D**

**mycookiegirl: Awww, thank you! :)**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you!**

**Lovetoread75: Thank you very much. :)**

**WatchRain4898: Your first lines always crack me up when I read them. ;) I loved the part where I described the drawing too! It was my favorite to write out of all the chapter! :D Anyway, thank you so much! :)**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you very much! :)**

**FrankElza: Thank you. :) I'd probably act the same as he does in his position. He'll get better soon. ;) xx**

**I think that settles it for the reviews! Now, for the news!**

**1- The Drama Fest, my theatre competition, is exactly FIVE DAYS from now! I am extremely excited! Those are good news and bad news for y'all, though; the good news are that you'll get another story of my experience, and the bad news are that I won't be able to update that weekend. :( Sorry! I apologize in advance!**

**2- I finally know what I want to do when I get older!; profiling! Helping solving crimes by identifying a suspect's background by their accent and everything! This sounds like a fun job even though it's actually serious, and with a bit of studies in psychology, I might have the opportunity to have that career! :D**

**3, Finally- My novel is coming along nicely! I showed it to my Theatre teacher, who loved it! There's hope for this book in the future, folks! ;)**

**There, that's about it! About the previous chapter, I felt like the Curtis brothers needed a fluff moment, you know? I'm glad y'all liked it, and I hope that you will like this chapter as well! Until next time, please R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

The next day, Darry left for working feeling relaxed. For once, he had slept soundly. Ponyboy hadn't had any nightmares either, so he and Sodapop also slept well, the both of them drained from having cried.

Meanwhile, Sodapop was getting ready for work, eating his eggs without jelly this time since they ran out of it. He peaked one last time at Ponyboy's sleeping form before slowly closing the door with an inaudible click. He had left a note inside, saying that Dallas would come over to watch him at around noon and Two-Bit, a little later. Sodapop honked and soon, the both of them also left for work.

When Ponyboy woke up, a few hours later, he was hot and sweaty, as if he had just came back from a track competition. Fortunately, he felt better than two days ago, when he caught a small fever.

He moaned as the sunlight penetrated through the binds and shined on his face. He covered his face with his right arm, his left arm resting on Sodapop's pillow. He still felt tired, even after a good night of sleep, but then again, he needed a lot of rest. He had to take his recovery one step at a time. He could only hope that he could at least get his memory back soon.

He reluctantly took the comfortable sheets off of him and sat up—with a bit of difficulty, but he managed. He was getting stronger in his right arm, being the only useful limb of the two. He reminded himself to ask Darry for some weights; surely his brother had some, with the muscles he had.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his bedroom door. "Come in," he muttered, but the person had already opened his door before he could finish talking. "Oh, hey Dally."

Dallas stayed by the door, leaning on the doorway, unlighted cigarette dangling from his lips. "Hey, kid." He looked over at Ponyboy, noticing that the boy had been trying to get to his wheelchair. "Need help there?"

Ponyboy glanced at his wheelchair and back at the hood, shrugging. "I guess."

_Even without his memory, kid stills refuses help_, Dallas thought with a smirk. He made his way over to the boy and before Ponyboy could utter a word, Dallas sat him down in the wheelchair. He squeezed his way between the wheelchair and the desk so he could wheel Ponyboy more easily.

The duo walked in the living just as another fellow greaser slammed the door and walked in. "Heeeeelllooooooooooo, Ponyboooooooyyyy!"

Said boy just laughed. "Hey, Two-Bit."

Dallas faked a pout. "What? Don't I get a 'hello' too?"

Two-Bit smirked. "I'll give you a 'hello', alright!" He took advantage of Dallas' position to tackle the hood. Dallas had stepped a little farther from the wheelchair, so Ponyboy wasn't in danger of being knocked over. He did yelp when Dallas let out a small yell before being tackled by Two-Bit, but the older boys fell at a safe distance in front of the younger one.

Two-Bit managed to catch Dallas in his famous headlock for a couple of seconds, but Dallas roughly elbowed Two-Bit's side, making the older teen yelp and lightly release the hood. That was all Dallas needed to switch sides so he could catch Two-Bit in a headlock of his own.

"That's what you get for messing with me, dip-shit," he gritted, holding Two-Bit's neck tighter. "Holler Uncle!"

"N-Never," he choked out, writhing under Dallas' grip, to no avail. "A-Alright, U-Uncle!" he gasped when he could almost no longer breathe. Dallas let go of Two-Bit reluctantly, smirking at the rusty-haired greaser's defeat.

Ponyboy had stopped laughing by now, seeing Two-Bit's blue face. "Weren't you a little too rough on him?"

Dallas grinned. "I'm always rough."

"Not with me," Ponyboy innocently pointed out. Dally's grin instantly disappeared.

He resisted the urge to even glare at the kid with difficulty. He thought about how Ponyboy sounded so innocent and how the murder had changed the boy, and not for the better. He sobered up from his anger pretty quickly.

"Alright, well," Two-Bit started, trying to break the tension in which Dallas had created and Ponyboy was oblivious to. "What do y'all wanna do? Kid, wanna visit Soda at the DX?"

Ponyboy shook his head, his mood somewhat ruined. "Nah, I wanna stay here if you don't mind." Two-Bit reluctantly fetched the deck of cards and the three boys settled in the living room for some card games.

XxX

With the long day at the gas station over, Sodapop barely came in the house, only taking a shower, dressing up and leaving as soon as he could with Steve by his side. The boys had to pick up their girlfriends at Sandy's house and then they'd leave for the drag races.

Sodapop couldn't help but notice that Sandy didn't seem as happy as she usually did. She still smiled her sweet smile, but Sodapop could read her like a book, and he felt that it was somewhat fake. However, he promised himself that he'd have fun and ask her later, for now focusing on making her keep her smile.

He cheered and whooped as Steve cursed beside him, having made a bet to which the mechanic was losing. Sodapop kept his arm around Sandy's waist, nuzzling her neck once in a while, making sure that she got some attention, even though the original plans were made for him and Steve only.

Soon, it was his turn, and he was racing against Steve. He sat down in the driver's seat of the red Corvette, as Steve raced in a Black Corvette, both extremely tuff looking cars. All too soon, the girl between the two cars aimed her gun in the sky, cocked it, and fired their start.

Sodapop grinned as he felt the familiar speed he yearned for and lived for. He whooped as he noticed that he was slightly in front of Steve, maybe by an inch or two. Despite being the best mechanic out of the two, Steve unfortunately wasn't the best drag-racer out of the two.

The two boys passed the finish line and screeched to a halt, awaiting the winner's name. For all the both of them knew, they had tied.

"Winner; Sodapop Curtis!" Sodapop whooped as he heard his name and Steve walked out of his corvette, grumbling to himself.

"Next time," was all he said to Sodapop, who just laughed, unfazed. Deep down, Steve was proud of his buddy, and Sodapop knew it.

When he reached his place in the bleachers, still in the high of winning another drag race, Sandy wasn't smiling anymore, nor did she comment on his performance. Sodapop shrugged it off as her being worried, since her brother had once been in an accident while drag-racing.

"Want to go get a drink with me?" Sodapop asked his girlfriend, who looked up at him and grabbed Sodapop's hand with hers. "I'm kinda thirsty."

"Actually, Soda, I wanted to talk to you about something." Sodapop, who was still in a good mood, didn't hear the guilt in her tone.

"You can talk to me about anything, babe," he reassured her, smiling.

"Soda, I'm pregnant."

Her revelation caught him completely off-guard and throw him off his balance like a punch in the face. He certainly didn't expect that. "Wait…what?"

Tears started running down her soft cheeks. "I'm pregnant," she repeated, and Sodapop almost couldn't bear the overwhelming sadness in her voice.

He was flabbergasted. "I-How! I thought we used protection the last time we did it!"

She let out a choked sob. "Sodapop…you're not the father."

Instant. Rage. "Who," he hissed, "the helldid that to you? I'll stomp this fucker for messing with my girl!"

"Shut up!" she shouted at him, letting out another sob. Sodapop froze, wide-eyed. "Soda…I…I'm so sorry, but…I was seeing someone else…"

"You…cheated on me?" he finally asked, heart-broken. "H-How could you do that to me…?"

"My parents never liked you," she started, crying. "They wanted me to find someone more than a hoodlum to love…so I met this guy, and…he got me pregnant without meaning to…" Sodapop snorted, but she sent him a look that shushed him. "When I told him, my mom overheard and threw me out of the house, so…he offered me to go to Florida with him, since his aunt lives there and told him to bring me over, that if my mom wouldn't take care of me, then she would."

She hung her head down and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Sodapop. So sorry." And with that said, she ran away from him, from her past relation, from her miserable life.

Not knowing that she brought a big piece of Sodapop's broken heart with her.


	22. The Nicknames

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**First of all, I'm extremely sorry for the delay. After the Drama Fest, I've been extremely busy with catching up in my classes, that I have barely touched the keyboard. I'm back now. I have a few exams coming up, but with the teachers' help, it ain't nothing I can't pass. I'm confident in my studies!**

**Thus why it's my longest chapter yet! It's all for you! xox**

**I'll try to make this A/N short and sweet. The only notices that I have are to vote on my poll, please! If y'all don't know that it is ('cause I didn't know what it was until two days ago), it's on my profile on the very beginning. There's a sort of question and you can vote for three out of the eleven choices that I gave you! And please, DO NOT USE ANY OF THOSE IDEAS FOR FANFICS. Some of them I think I do own, while others are just my version!**

**Finally, here are my review replies:**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you!**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank you so much! :)**

**BunnyluvsU: You'll have to share, Buns! :P Thank you!**

**FrankElza: I enjoyed writing it, too! I had a stupid smile on my face when I typed the words. And yes, it is a hard situation for her and my human decendy lets me have just a tiny amount of pity for her.. :P Thank you! xxx**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Hehe it's okay, it happens to everyone once in a while. In my case, all the time. :P And thank you! :)**

**Lovetoread75: Thank you very much! :)**

**WatchRain4898: Honestly I always tell you how I love your first line of every review (and of course I enjoy all of your reviews) but I just really ;oved this one! Thank you so much for the compliments and for the laughs! :)**

**Belle McGrath: I have the luxury to have you around every day to thank you! My thanks seem never enough, because I will be eternally greatful for the words of encouragement also and the help you've given me with self-estime and confidence in this story! So thank you, and Stay Gold. xox**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you!**

**Nessie2000: I really, really hate Sandy as well. A thing we have in common! You were close, it was May 7th! :) I feel bad for the Curtis brothers as well. Don't worry, I won't torture them too much. ;) Thank you!**

**Thank you for the reviews everyone! I'm almost up to 200 and it's all thanks to y'all! Now, enjoy this chapter and R &amp; R, please! Love y'all xox**

**XoX**

"Dear Johnny,

I promise I'll write more often," I smiled. Typical Darry, "we've just been so busy lately, with the hospital bills and Pony's amnesia." I sighed. I wished Ponyboy would remember me soon, then I could see him. I missed our conversations, missed comforting him. "One thing I'm thankful of is that I'm closer to him. I'm dreading the day that he's going to remember the slap."

I paled. Ponyboy didn't remember his own brother hitting him. I tried telling myself that no, Darry didn't mean to, but he must feel so guilty.

"We're having a big rumble tomorrow night." I got his letter this morning when I woke up, so he must've sent last night. That meant that the rumble would be in a couple of hours. "Too bad we can't have you with us, kiddo. We sure need you.

I'll be back to visit either Sunday or Monday. I'll bring Soda, Steve and Two-Bit along; maybe it'll do you good to talk with them a little." I couldn't agree more.

"See you later, Johnny.

Darry"

I sighed, about to put my letter in my pillowcase with the others, but I dropped it on the ground. I noticed that there was something else in the back of the letter. I saw about three other, smaller letters. I started reading the first one.

"Hey Johnnycake!

Golly, we sure miss you! It sure is weird not having you around the house, having one of your silent conversations with Pony!

My kid brother's doing fine," I smiled, it was Soda. "He seems to show signs of remembering. Even drew the whole family when he was only two years old! I'll show you the drawing when I'll visit you.

I hope you're feeling alright. You're a tough kid, and I know you'll be outta there in no time!

Soda"

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Even with an amnesiac brother, Soda sure was proud of Pony. He sure loved that kid.

I read the next one, who appeared to be from Steve.

"Hey kid,

How's the cooler treatin' ya? Didja pound anyone's head in yet? I want the details as soon as I'm there!" Yep, it was Steve, alright.

"We're having this big rumble tomorrow night, but I bet Darry already told ya. Soda won't be in it; Sandy left him 'bout an hour ago." My eyes widened. What? Sandy broke up with Soda? He sounded so happy in his letter! Maybe he had written it before?

"He's mighty sad about it. It thought he'd want to beat all the Socs he saw, but he just locked himself in his room. Even ignored the kid. Ponyboy's confused in all of this.

Kid, I wanted to tell ya. I almost blew your cover. We all agreed that we couldn't mention your name in front of Pony, and I did, so he got all confused again." My eyes widened. "He thinks Johnny is Curly Shepard's name. Dallas came up with that as fast as I could blink. He almost pounded my head in. Superman was all for helping him. I woulda deserved it.

I'm gonna visit ya Monday and I'll try to bring Soda with me. He needs air, and I think he'll be more than glad to see ya.

Steve"

I thought he sounded soft in his letter, but maybe if he'd a told me everything he wrote, I wouldn't have spotted a difference in Steve Randle. I shrugged and read the last letter, which was no doubt, Two-Bit's. Dally wouldn't bother with a letter.

"Hey Johnnycake!" I could almost hear his voice shouting that. The thought made me smile.

"Boy howdy, never thought I'd see the day when Johnny Cade is in jail! Ya sure surprised me there! Good job with that Soc!"

My stomach turned in knots and my smile faded. Two-Bit had a way of making you feel bad when he wanted to make you feel good, and the other way around. He was probably only trying to joke, but the reason why I was here sickened me. I never imagined anything like this could happen.

But it was over and done with, and strangely, I had no regrets. I killed that Soc to save my best friend. I've barely spent a week in prison and with all the time I had to think, of all the times I replayed the murder, there wasn't any other solution to save Pony.

I cursed to myself, realising that there _had_ been a solution; just ignore Ponyboy's idea of going to the park and take him to his house. But, I realised then that it would've been impossible to ignore Ponyboy, that night; he was so scared and overwhelmed, that a walk would've done him good. It it hadn't been for the Socs, that is.

A tear made its way on my cheek, leaving a warm trail. The tear fell on the letter, jolting me out of my thoughts. I forgot all about it. With a quivery sigh, I clutched it and read the rest.

"I can't wait to see you, kid. God, you've scared us to death! Dally told me that y'all were headed for Texas, man! I was all for driving my ass over there to get the two of you! Guess it was a lie." I chuckled at the last line. If Two-Bit knew how many times Dally lied to him...

"Anyway, I'll visit you soon. Man, for once, I ain't gonna be the one at the other side of the bars! It's weird!" I sighed. He meant strange or foreign. Ponyboy thought me that word once, which led me to think that Two-Bit could improve his spelling. I guess mine isn't better though. It also reminded me that I should write back.

"Two-Bit". I slowly put the letter with the others in the pillowcase and carefully leaned in, my head resting on the uncomfortable pillow and my body, on the hard bunk bed. Before long, I was asleep.

XxX

"Sodapop, come out," Darry sighed for the hundredth time. "C'mon, Little Buddy, dinner's ready."

No answer.

Darry sighed again before heading back in the kicthen, where the gang, minus Johnny, was. Ponyboy had stayed in the living room today, disturbed of having seen Sodapop bawl like he had the previous night. From what he had gathered without his memory, Sodapop was carefree and always smiling a smile that could attract all the ladies around. The fact that Sodapop had been crying since the previous night even made Ponyboy want to cry for his heart-broken brother.

"No luck?" Darry heard a small voice asked, and turned to look at Ponyboy, who was staring at him from his spot on the couch. Ponyboy wasn't looking too good, in Darry's opinion. Sure, his fever was gone, but he looked incredibly tired and sad. Darry could tell that he was tired of having amnesia.

He still managed to smile as he shook his head. "Not at all, lil' colt. Not at all."

Ponyboy pursed his lips and looked away for a few moments, but then he looked back at Darry. "What's a 'little colt'?"

Darry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but then realisation dawned on his features and he chuckled. "It's your nickname."

It was Ponyboy's turn to be confused, but he let Darry explain. "A colt is a baby pony. Since your name is Ponyboy and since you used to be so small—you still are," he added, making Ponyboy scowl, "Mom came up with that for a nickname, and it stuck."

Ponyboy shrugged with a small smile. Little Colt was a good nickname, he decided. Well, good enough for his brothers to use.

"What about yours?"

"Uh?" Darry asked, not sure if he heard well, but he had. "Oh, mine is Superman."

"Who's Superman?" Ponyboy asked innocently, making Darry smile. The rest of the gang watched from the kitchen, leaving the two brothers together to treasure that moment.

"A character on a TV program. It used to be our favorite. Mine, and yours." He smiled as Ponyboy smiled up at him. "Superman is a superhero. He can fly with his red cape, and he's super strong."

"Just like you?" Ponyboy asked, but then realised that he sounded extremely childish. He couldn't care less, however; he was interested to hear about his childhood.

Darry chuckled. "Well, I can't really fly, you know," he joked, making Ponyboy blush a little and the others chuckle from their spot at the doorway. "I guess I'm strong, having played football and roofing houses. But that isn't the main reason why it's my nickname." At this, Ponyboy's ears perked up, at attention to hear of the rest of the story. So did the others. They realised that they didn't even know why Darry's nickname was Superman.

"I saved you, once." Ponyboy's eyes widened. Saved? From what? He voiced his question, making Darry's small smile fade, unnoticed by only Ponyboy.

"We were kids back then. I was 11 years old, you weren't turned 5 yet. Your birthday was in two weeks. Soda was 7. He was gone at Steve's house to play with him, leaving you alone. He was your only friend back then." His eyes darkened.

"I was playing football with Paul—my friend back then—and I didn't want you to play. Still, you insisted to play with us. We went to the lot, and Mom forced me to watch you, so you followed. We made you sit down next to a tree while we tossed the ball at each other, with you watching. Then, I threw it too far, and we started arguing on who was gonna go get it."

"You...you said you'd go. I didn't think back then, or I would've gone." Ponyboy was intently staring at Darry, listening with awe. Steve, who was standing closest from the two, realised what happened before Darry voiced it. "The ball was in the middle of the road, so you went to get it, and...didn't look both sides. There was a speeding car coming straight at you." Ponyboy gasped, along with Two-Bit, though the older boy gasped more quietly and it went unnoticed. "I ran as fast as I could and managed to grab your arm, pulling you back with me. The car sped right in front of us, crushing our football, but I didn't care; the only thing on my mind was keeping you safe."

His eyes softened when he noticed Ponyboy looking at him, mouth agape. "You bawled and bawled, convinced you would've died if it hadn't been for me. Paul was wide-eyed; he thought I was Superman or something. He called me that name, and I remember protesting, but then you called me that, thanking me a million times for saving you, and the name kinda stuck."

He chuckled. "You called me that in front of our parents and I had to explain why. That was before they asked why you were crying. Boy howdy, I sure got hell for it. Took me years to show you how to look both sides of the road."

Ponyboy smiled, but was startled when his stomach rumbled. Two-Bit laughed in the background, "Glory, kid! We'd think you're hungry or something!" making Ponyboy blush. Darry fixed Ponyboy a plate of macaroni and cheese and put it on the table so Ponyboy could eat in the living room.

The gang quickly ate, especially Darry who had to bring Ponyboy to Mrs. Matthews' house. When he had been wondering about a babysitter, Two-Bit had asked his mom to take care of Ponyboy for one night, who of course immediately agreed to.

He was about to call Mrs. Matthews when he heard Steve's voice down the hall. "Hey, Soda! You ready for the rumble?"

"M'not going," his brother's muffled voice replied from the other side of the door. Darry peaked in the hall just in time to see Steve's face fall with a disappointed look.

"C'mon, man! You need to get over her!" Darry thought that Steve had a lot of guts to say that. He didn't dare mention Sandy yet, but Steve didn't spare his best friend, knowing that he might get over her more quickly if he talked about her. "It'll do you good to blow off some steam on those damn Socs' fa—"

"I don't fucking want to!" Sodapop snapped, opening the door to a surprised Steve. "Just leave me alone!" Darry intervened quickly.

"Look, Soda...Little Buddy, if you don't want to go," Soda's glare direction changed from Steve to Darry, "would you at least watch Pony while we're gone?" Darry lamely finished.

Sodapop looked past Darry's shoulder over to the living room, where Ponyboy was trying to look at them. He simply shrugged and brushed past Darry to sit down in the recliner. Ponyboy beamed at him while Sodapop threw him a small—fake, but small—smile. Darry sighed in relief before turning to Ponyboy.

"Kiddo, you stay your rear parked on that couch until I get back, understood?" he said with a hint of a smile on his face. He sounded much softer than before, and everyone noticed, including himself.

"I can't really move, Darry," Ponyboy said with a small laugh. Darry sadly thought that if Ponyboy would've had his memory, he would've scowled and mumbled something to show how annoyed he would've been. Instead, Darry was rewarded with a kid who couldn't remember him, but stayed happy, even with the condition he was in. He didn't know which one was better.

Darry finally left his brothers alone, leaving the house with a yell. The others closely followed behind by whooping and cheering and cursing about the Socs and doing everything that the greasers loved to do.

Ponyboy smiled as he watched them from the living room window. "Are they always like that?"

Sodapop tried to smile, but he couldn't bring his lips to twitch, not even a tiny bit, so he settled on shrugging. Ponyboy wasn't looking at his face anyway. "I guess."

Ponyboy turned to look at Sodapop with sad eyes. Sodapop had to look away; he could get lost in those innocent greenish-gray orbs, not wanting Ponyboy to get hurt again by the harsh world that they lived in.

"You okay?" Ponyboy asked his older brother, knowing perfectly well that he wasn't. He felt the overwhelming need to hug his brother and comfort him of whatever pain he was feeling. He extended his arms toward Sodapop, who looked at him in confusion before hugging his baby brother back. Sodapop patted Ponyboy's back twice before letting go of the embrace, a bit too quickly for Ponyboy's liking.

"Do you wanna talk about..."

"No," Sodapop harshly interrupted, thinking Ponyboy wanted to talk to him about Sandy. He had it in his mind that everyone wanted to tell him to forget the 'bitch' and move on.

He took Ponyboy by surprise, who didn't even know who Sodapop's ex-girlfriend was. He simply wanted to know more about his mother and the piano. "But, you told me you..."

"Listen!" Sodapop snapped, catching Ponyboy off-guard as he struggled to sit carefully on the couch with wide eyes. "I don't want anything to do with her anymore! She's gone and there ain't nothing I can do about it! So just leave me alone and stop asking me questions about her!"

He stormed in his room before Ponyboy could even blink.


	23. The Rumble

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'll try to make this author's note short and sweet, but you know me by now; I always write too long notes. Bear with me; I love writing, as you all know!**

**I'm almost up to 200 reviews, guys! Thank you so much for all the support you've given me. Here are my replies:**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you! I hope so too!**

**BunnyluvsU: Hehe :P I feel bad for Sodapop too; don't worry, I won't torture him TOO much!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Thank you! I'm sorry, I tired :/ thank you for the compliment as well! :)**

**WatchRain4898: Your reviews are always so entertaining and fun to read, I know it's not the first time I'm saying this but they are! Like your first like: OOOOH CRAP, this just killed me. When I see that someone updates after a long time, I scream too, so I feel you! :P I'm usually alone when that happens, so no one looks at me weirdly though :') I agree, I like jailbird Johnny a lot more than a dead Johnny too! It makes me want to hug him until his eyes pop out of their sockets! Lol. Funny how I have so much to say in your review! I feel bad for Pony as well, and Soda too. :( Don't worry, it wasn't creepy, thank you so much! :)**

**GreaserG1rl201: I loved writing that part too, thank you! :)**

**Jessieklove: Yay, you're back! Thank you :)**

**FrankElza: I agree, it is a nice memory about the nicknames and all, I sure hope it helped Pony with the memories. :) I always feel insecure about writing about Johnny in jail, but I'm glad you like it so much. :) Thank you xxx**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you! **

**Lovetoread75: I could imagine Ponyboy asking what's a little colt, I really liked writing that chapter! Also, I've read a few fanfics in where it was explained why Darry was called Superman, so I wanted to add my own twist and thought about how the chapter was a good opportunity to do it, so I did! Overall, thank you so much for all the compliments, it really makes me feel like I'm going to be a good writer later and it really helps with my estime and my writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

**Wellup, that clears the reviews! Now, for the typical excuse as to why it took me so long to update: exams. There's nothing else to it, just painful exams, at least three every day, so intense studying was included. My exam period is thankfully over, so that means; free time! That also means; driving lessons! Since I'm 16, I can start with my driver's classes. I could've taken them long ago but I wasn't quite ready, but now I am, so I'll be right on track to get my permit! **

**Here are the last few details: this chapters includes some passages from the book, so no disrespectful comment about it, please! Also, don't forget that the rumble happens in the park instead of in the lot; says so in the chapter when Darry talks to the Socs if you want to check it out! Anyway don't forget to vote on my poll, please R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

Darry stormed out of the house, closely followed by Steve, Dallas and finally, Two-Bit. "Wellup," Two-Bit said cheerfully, cocking an eyebrow, "I see we're in prime condition for a rumble! Is everybody happy?"

"Yeah!" the greasers shouted, doing somersaults and cartwheels and back flips and all the tricks that Darry had showed them during the previous summer.

"I'm a greaser," Steve started, "I'm a JD and a hood. I blacken the name of our fair city!"

"I beat up people," Dallas picked up, "I rob gas stations, I am a menace to society. Man, do I have fun!"

"Greaser...greaser...greaser..." Steve chanted, "O victim of environment, underprivileged, rotten, no-count hood!"

"Juvenile delinquent, you're no good!" Dallas finished with a whoop.

"Get thee hence, white trash," Darry sneered.

"I am a Soc," Two-Bit continued in a snobbish voice. "I am the privileged and the well-dressed. I throw beer blasts, drive fancy cars, and break windows at fancy parties!"

"And what do we do for fun?" Darry asked the guys in a faked awed voice.

"WE JUMP GREASERS!" they all shouted. They bumped into each other and whooped as they made their way down the streets to the park, where the fountain water still ran, angering them. They drowned my brother here, Darry thought, fighting the urge to punch the thing right then and there.

Tim Shepard's gang was already hanging out, waiting for their fellow hoods and greasers to show up so they could all wait for the Socs to show up. When the Shepard gang leader noticed the Curtis gang, he walked over to them to greet Darry.

"Nice night for a rumble," Tim remarked unnecessarily as he shook hands with Darry.

"Every night's a night for a rumble when it comes to you, Shepard," Darry replied, hooking his fists in his jean pockets and slouching.

"Ain't that the truth."

Dallas was the first one to notice. "Kid brother ain't here?"

Tim cussed up a storm. "Got himself caught again; stupid kid. He's gonna be in the reformatory for the next six months." He looked around and also noticed something. "What about yours, Curtis? In fact," he looked around again, "both are MIA."

Darry shook his head. "Sandy...she left Soda. Left and brought his heart with her to Florida."

"Stupid bitch," one of the hoods in Tim's gang cursed. He had never liked Sandy, and he felt some sympathy toward Sodapop, whom he thought was an okay guy.

"He didn't say anything about the rumble, so he stayed home with Pony. And Pony, he—" Darry shook his head again, "didn't get his memory back, yet. Claims he's coming along though."

Tim just nodded to show that he understood. There wasn't a word uttered, as it wasn't needed.

A few minutes later, the Brumly Boys appeared, along with a few other greasers and hoods who wanted to fight. They totaled about thirty teenagers, ready to fight the battle of a lifetime.

The Brumly leader, along with Tim Shepard and Darry took the decision on who would start the rumble. They voiced that it had been chosen long ago; it would be Darry. Darry didn't protest nor did he say anything, so it was silently agreed.

Then, they heard the horns.

Cars full of Socs were making their way next to the park, who all parked in the curb. The Socs all walked toward them in a straight line, totaling about thirty rich kids as well. The odds were visibly even.

Darry stepped up in the front, eyeing the Socs coolly. "I'll take anyone," he stayed, and a wave of silence and tenseness so thick it could be cut with butter washed over the park.

For a few moments, no one moved. Darry thought that no one would be brave enough to take him, but he was wrong when a familiar blond guy stepped up. "Hello, Darrel."

Darry's insides turned to ice and he clenched his jaw. "Hello, Paul."

It instantly clicked in Two-Bit's head. The blond guy, Paul, had been one of Darry's best friends back in high school. College separated them, and now, former friends would now become enemies.

"I'll take you," Paul said, narrowing his eyes and clenching his jaw. Darry simply nodded, and went silent once again.

The two of them walked in circles, in what looked like two wolves getting ready to pounce at their prey, only this time, once one of them made the first move, everyone would follow instead of watching.

Darry threw the first punch, and the fight was on.

Every greaser flew at every Soc they saw, throwing punches and avoiding others while cursing and yelling at each other. Everyone was in fury, the Socs' anger fueled by the death of their leader, and the greasers' anger fueled by the attempted murder of their youngest member.

Darry wildly swung at Paul, throwing him on the muddy ground. He didn't notice that they were next to the fountain until he swung again and Paul fell in the murky water, gasping for air as he popped out from underwater, surprised. Darry saw red and pushed Paul back in the water, not letting him up. "How does it feel to taste your own medicine, uh?!"

"Darry!" Steve shouted from a few feet away. "Let him up; you're gonna kill him! He ain't the one who drowned your kid brother, and revenge ain't the best way to solve a problem! I should know!"

Darry paused and let Paul out, resulting in the wet boy coughing non-stop. Darry picked him up by the collar of his shirt and threw him on the ground, upper cutting him in the face, knocking him out cold.

Steve, who had been distracted by Darry's murderous act, momentarily forgot that he was fighting someone until that someone sent a powerful punch to his side. He gasped as he felt a few of his ribs crack and struggled to stay up, but there was no way he was going to lose to the Soc, who smirked over his temporary victory. His smirk was quickly wiped off his face as Steve threw himself on top of him, slugging him in the face numerous times.

Two-Bit fought off his Soc with surprising ease. He threw a punch at his face, catching him on the left cheek. The Soc fell to the ground with a groan, but retaliated before Two-Bit could blink. Two-Bit felt blood run down the side of his face, but it only fueled him more, and he threw himself on the Soc, punching him anywhere he could think of; face, stomach, sides, chest, etc. Soon, the both of them were rolling on the ground, slugging the sense out of each other.

Dallas was fighting two Socs at once, but was handling it very well. He always had only one Soc at him, the other on the ground for a few seconds until he would throw himself at Dally, the other having been knocked to the ground again, the process being repeated over and over. Then, while Dally had his back turned, a third Soc threw himself at him, only to be intercepted in the flying tackle of another hood, who had downed his Soc.

Steve looked around and noticed that the Socs were retreating, half of them unconscious on the ground, their bodies mixed with some unconscious hoods. "Look at the dirty bastards run!" The greasers started whooping and cheering at their victory. It was official; they won!

Darry found himself picking up a nearly unconscious Steve, who moaned when he felt pressure on his ribs. Darry silenced him and threw Steve's arm over his shoulders, asking for someone else to help. Two-Bit, who was closest to the two, offered to help, and he threw Steve's other arm over his shoulders, forgetting about his busted knuckles.

The walk home was silent; Dallas had left with the Shepard gang for the night, probably getting boozed up at Buck's to celebrate their victory. It left Darry, Steve and Two-Bit, who were silent for once. Not that Steve normally talked a lot; he was just in too much pain to utter a word, and his nose had started bleeding. Talking wouldn't be fun when choking on blood.

When they got home, they were met with a surprising sight. Ponyboy was lying on the couch on his back, obviously lousily propped up; tear tracks on his young face, fast asleep. Darry told Two-Bit to help Steve lie down on the couch while he scooped the boy up and brought him to his room; he didn't want to bother Sodapop, who was most likely asleep in his room, what with having closed the door. Darry vaguely wondered why Sodapop wouldn't take care of Ponyboy properly, but the shook the thoughts away, promising himself he'd ask the next day.

Once he made sure that Ponyboy was fine and comfortable, he returned to the living room, taking the medical kit with him on his way there. Two-Bit had already nursed his knuckles, and was applying a rag to the side of his head while applying another rag to Steve's nose. It had stopped bleeding, but he still wanted to make sure that it wasn't broken.

Darry tended to Steve's bruises, which consisted of three fractured ribs, a swelling nose, a split lip and a black eye. Then, he tended to Two-Bit's; he had a deep cut which he had to stitch and of course, his busted knuckles, which hadn't properly been tended to. They also needed stitches and Darry had to pour rubbing alcohol on them to disinfect them. He apologized to his drunken friend when Two-Bit hissed, but at least his knuckles would heal nicely.

Darry, aside of a bruised cheek and a bruised arm, was fine. He didn't have any headaches or stomach pains or any other bruise, so it didn't take long tending to his own wounds. Eventually, Steve fell asleep on the couch and Two-Bit fell asleep on the floor next to his friend, so Darry headed to bed as well.

He however stopped in front of Sodapop's door. He didn't want to wake the boy up, but he wanted Ponyboy to sleep with him tonight. Not that he himself didn't want Ponyboy around; he just wanted his baby brother to feel loved again, since Sodapop had been neglecting him in his grieving for Sandy.

"Hey, Sodapop," he tiredly said while he knocked, "can I come in?" He didn't receive any answer. "I'm coming in." He twisted the knob and slowly opened the door so it wouldn't creak too loudly. "How was—" He interrupted himself as he froze, staring at the vacant bed.

Sodapop was gone.


	24. The Aftermath

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'll start this A/N with my review replies:**

**Seth Clearwater: Glad you did, now it's for you to find out ;)**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank you! I usually have trouble writing fight scenes but I'm glad you like it! :)**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Thank you very much! :)**

**BunnyluvsU: That's for you to find out ;)**

**mycookiegirl (2): No, he didn't :/ but it's part of the story ;) &amp; That would've been a good idea, but it didn't really fit, so I gave it a different stretch ;) Thank you for reviewing!**

**WatchRain4898: Again, you succeeded in making me laugh! :P You don't need to worry about the language ;) I'm glad you liked the rumble! I think it was my best fight scene yet in all of my stories. Yes, Steve can handle it &amp; haha! I've always loved the quote Handle the Randle! I'm not much of a Steve fan but this quote cracks me up everytime, including in your review! Anyway, thank you!**

**Lovetoread75: Thank you! I hope you won't be disappointed at where he ran off to. ;)**

**Jessieklove: It's for me to know and for you to read and find out ;) Thank you for reviewing, and again, I'm glad you're back!**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you! :)**

**MiniHorseMeadow: Hello, new reviewer! Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

**FrankElza: Thank you! That moment was totally random but I was wondering what would've happened if Darry had landed all over a Soc instead of Sodapop like in the book! As for Ponyboy and Sodapop, you'll find out soon. ;) Don't worry about the late review, no review is 'late' for me as I appreciate all of them. :) Thank you! xxx**

**Nessie2000: ~Puts hand on shoulder to help steady breathing~ Awww! Your review is heart-touching! :') I'm glad I brighten your day with my writing, and I hope you're having good days. :) Thank you so much!**

**Congradulations to mycookiegirl for being the 200th reviewer!**

**I'm glad my previous chapter surprised you all! I'm sorry for the cliffhanger and for the wait, but if it can help, I was actually re-writing this story. You see, my first nine chapters were in someone's POV, while the rest of the story was in the Narrator's POV, so I wanted to fix that, and I also fixed the mistakes and typos. I apologize if there are still more, though. If you wish to re-read the story as new, I would be thankful! I hope the wait was worth it!**

**I have successfully finished Junior year! I did a 93% on my report card (and straight A's) which made me thrilled, but I am also happy to be finished! Only one year to go before graduation!**

**Since I am in summer vacation, I will probably have time to update a lot more! Also, now that the story is re-written, I have no reason to lag, unless I have a Writer's Block, but the next few chapters are plan, so there probably won't! Now, R &amp; R, and enjoy! I love y'all! xxx**

XxX

"Don't you think it's a little too late to visit anyone, Winston?"

Dallas glared at Dodge. "I don't give a fuck if I visit anyone here at two in the morning. I wanna see Johnny and I'm gonna see him, and if you give me any static, you'll end up in your own jail cell!"

Dodge glared back at him, but didn't say anything. He wordlessly escorted Dallas to a room and told him to wait while he went and fetched Johnny. A few minutes later, he came back with a tired boy in front of him. "You have thirty minutes; I ain't got an hour to wait for you." He slammed the door, leaving the two of them alone.

"Hey, Dally," Johnny greeted, then yawned. He had been woken up by his guard, but he didn't mind. It seemed like a long time that he had seen anyone from the gang. Then, his vision cleared and he finally noticed Dallas' bruises. "You been to the rumble?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Dallas retorted with a smirk. "We beat their heads in. Ran like a bunch of sissies. They ain't gonna bother us no more."

Johnny couldn't find himself smirking. "Fighting ain't no good."

Dallas's smirk faded, replaced by a scowl. "Yeah, well we needed to blow off some damn steam. It got too bad not to fight it out."

Johnny couldn't deny, but he didn't want to talk about it, so he changed the subject. "How's Pony?"

Dallas hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. "Eh, I don't know. Haven't checked on him in a while. You'll probably have news of him from Darry soon."

"What about Soda?"

Dallas swore. "Shoot, kid, he ain't getting better. That broad sure messed him up. But he'll get over her."

Johnny could only hope so. After all, Sodapop had really loved Sandy. He probably still did, even after his heartbreak.

"How's everyone else?"

"As good as they can be," Dallas coolly answered. "Two-Bit's still bumming around, Steve's still working as much as he does, same for Darry."

"I'd expect Darry to find it hard to deal with his brothers when they have so many problems," Johnny truthfully answered. Dallas raised an eyebrow at him.

"Jeez, what's got you so chatty?" He cuffed Johnny's shoulder, expecting a wince out of the boy even though he didn't mean to hurt him, but he didn't get anything. Johnny just offered a small smile. "Y'know Darry finds it hard, Johnnycakes, but he just don't show it. He's tuff like that."

"Yeah, tuff," Johnny mumbled, yawning again.

As if on cue, Dodge opened the door. "Alright, time's up."

Johnny's eyes widened. "What? It hasn't been thirty minutes already."

Dodge scoffed. "Yeah, well I ain't watching you any longer. I got more important stuff to do. I said time's up; get going, Winston. Cade, come with me."

"Fucker," Dallas hissed under his breath. "See ya tomorrow, kid." He stormed away without looking back.

Johnny could only watch his hero while he was being taken away to his cell again.

XxX

"Never thought I'd find you here."

Sodapop looked up from his seat, clutching his beer bottle with a strong grip. Two-Bit Mathews was staring down at his friend with sympathy in his eyes. "What brought you here in the first place?"

Sodapop looked back at the counter of Buck's bar. "Got into an argument with Pony. I couldn't bear hurting his feelings, so I ran away to the first place I could think of." He looked up at Two-Bit again. "I take it you guys won the rumble?"

Two-Bit thankfully noted that Sodapop's speech wasn't slurred, though it was starting to. "Yeah, we won," he grinned. "Chased those fuckers clear to Mexico." He drew a small smile out of the Curtis brother. Two-Bit's own smile faded. "I should bring you home again."

"Darry'll be mad," Sodapop objected, to which Two-Bit shrugged.

"When's the big guy not mad?" Sodapop didn't answer. Darry had been mad too many times for either of their comfort. "Look, he ain't gonna chew you out. Probably tomorrow morning he will, but right now, he's just too worried and too tired to do anything."

"There ain't no such thing as 'too worried and too tired'," Sodapop snapped, surprising the older greaser. "The last time one of us got home late, he was 'worried and tired', and you know how that ended up."

Two-Bit stayed silent for a moment, thinking things through. Sodapop was right, but it was different. There was no point in trying to prove that, so he simply shrugged. "True. But he ain't gonna slap you."

"Why wouldn't he? I deserve it." Sodapop sat back down on his seat and took a gulp out of his beer. He sure was a sight; a sight Two-Bit rarely saw and didn't like to see.

"No one deserves that," Two-Bit apologetically said, putting a hand on Sodapop's shoulder, "not even Ponyboy." He bit his lip. "What'd you tell the kid anyway?"

Sodapop shook his head. "I-I thought he was talking about Sandy...when he asked me if I wanted to talk about 'her'. He was talking about Mom." Two-Bit's eyes widened. "I said some pretty nasty stuff, 'bout how she was gone and I couldn't do shit about it. When I saw his face..." Sodapop shook. "I had to leave. I stormed in our room and slammed the door, but even that didn't help me, so I ran away."

"Running away ain't the best solution," Two-Bit said, his tone as serious as it could ever be.

"Don't I know it," Sodapop retorted, feeling remorseful. "I just wanted to forget."

"Drinking to forget ain't the best way to do it, either," Two-Bit answered, helping Sodapop up. "C'mon, Soda, let's take you home."

Sodapop simply nodded.

XxX

Two-Bit barged in the house, Sodapop following him closely behind. Darry was asleep on the armchair, but he woke up when the door slammed shut. Steve, on the other hand, was dead to the world, still soundly asleep on the couch.

"Where the hell have you been?" Darry started, and Sodapop thought, not again.

"Found him at Buck's," Two-Bit said, earning him a glare from both brothers. "Thought I'd bring him back before he drank another beer."

"Another?" Darry asked, narrowing his eyes. "Sodapop Curtis, you've been drinking?"

"S'not like I had anything better to do anyway," Sodapop snapped, breaking Two-Bit's grip on his shoulder.

"Nothing better to do?" Darry barked. "I told you to watch Ponyboy! What do I find when I get here? The kid passed out on the couch, who cried himself to sleep! I better know what the hell happened for you to run away or you'll stay in your room until you tell me!"

"I blew at him, okay?!" Sodapop shouted. "I shouted mean things to him and I didn't mean to! I didn't want to see him hurt so I left him here!" He clenched his fists tightly until they turned white. "I just want to forget it, Goddamnit! Is that too much to ask for?" With that said, he stormed passed the two older boys, who had their jaws dropped.

Never before had they seen their friend and brother so mad, so emotional. Of course, Sodapop was the most emotional one in the family, but he was never mad at anyone about anything, except at the Socs, but that wasn't an exception. Every greaser was mad at the Socs.

A groan momentarily caught their attention, but Darry ignored it, storming over to his brothers' room. Two-Bit decided to help Steve up, who had just woken up in the midst of shouting and was wondering what the hell was going on between the three brothers.

When Darry opened the door to his brothers' room, he was met with a heart-touching but heart-breaking sight.

Sodapop was hugging the life out of his younger brother, and both of them were crying, apologizing to each other over and over again. Darry's gaze softened as he ever so slowly walked toward them, keeping a safe distance so not as to interrupt the moment.

"I'm so sorry," Sodapop sobbed. "I'll never leave you again, Ponyboy. I promise." Ponyboy only cried in answer as his hair was being stroked and his back was being rubbed.

"Are you gonna be okay, guys?" Darry asked, though the answer was obvious. They weren't okay at the moment, but eventually they would be.

Ponyboy and Sodapop both looked at Darry, not breaking away from each other, and both nodded at the same time. Yes, they will be alright.

Everything will be alright.


	25. The Innocent

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I sincerely apologize for the long wait I've put you through. I promised I would update faster since it was summer vacation, but in truth, I have been caught up with some stuff at home and I have been fighting Writer's Block for quite a while. I finally managed to put my act together and give you a chapter. Though it's a small filler chapter, I wish it will be satisfying enough for a month of waiting, for I still find it important.**

**Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate them dearly. Here are my replies:**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank you! I try to keep some parts of the novel alive since I found them marking and important. :)**

**BunnyluvsU: I wonder how I will write it too! I'm just as anxious as you are! ;)**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you very much! :)**

**WatchRain4898: And I can't handle your reviews; they're always very funny, as I keep reminding you! I don't know how I don't cry for Curtis brothers fluff, but I still find it so emotional. And yes, everyone has a breaking point, even the happiest of people, because deep inside, they are heartbroken. As for Steve, I didn't like him too at the beginning! I was like "How dare he be so mean to Pony!" And after a few fanfics about the two of them bonding, I learned to appreciate him as a valuable member of the gang! So thank you for the review! :)**

**tmntlover2013: Again, thank you for taking your time to leave a review. :)**

**mycookiegirl: Thank you! And I feel bad too, Johnny and Pony's conditions in this story are the only things I don't like writing about because it makes me sad that I'm doing that to my favorite characters. :( Fear no more! Things will get better soon. ;)**

**MiniHorseMeadow: Nothing compares to the feels of when I get reviews! :) Thank you for yours, and I hope the wait has been worth it.**

**Lovetoread75: Johnny is a crucial part of the story. ;) So I like including him. You're right, I don't include him enough, but I will! And I liked Two-Bit's part because I figured that Two-Bit knew first hand not to drink to forget, as he drinks often. Gotta love Two-Bit. Thank you. ;)**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: You made a good point in your review, I hadn't thought of that! It might actually help me write the next chapters. ;) As for the memory, it will be solved soon! I see its chapter in the horizon. Thank you for reviewing! :)**

**FrankElza: I really loved writing that chapter! I feel like I got the characters on point, more so than in the other chapters! I loved every single part of the chapter and I'm glad that you loved it too. :) Thank you for the review and for the compliment! xxx**

**Nessie2000: Thank you for the heart-warming review. :) I sure hope this chapter will be worth the wait!**

**There, that settles it for the reviews. Now, I have a few points to make.**

**First off, I apologize if you think that Steve is a little OOC, because I honestly had no idea how to write him in this chapter. Also, since the rumble is over, you will be seeing less of Tim Shepard and co. (sorry, Shepard fans) but more of Johnny! (YAY!) And finally, I'm sorry FrankElza and fans, but at the moment, the next chapter for Heartbeat is not in progress for my part! I will take my soldiers and supporters with me and beat Writer's Block once and for all, and update that story, in which you have been waiting longer!**

**Meanwhile, please R &amp; R, and enjoy this chapter!**

XxX

The late morning sunlight penetrated through the binds of Darry Curtis' bedroom, waking its occupant from his seemingly deep slumber. Darry sleepily slung his arm over his eyes to prevent the harsh light from blinding him furthermore, rolling onto his side, his back facing the window. He lazily stretched, no back muscles giving him any grief, yet he still groaned out of habit.

He blinked a few times, getting adjusted to the clarity of his bedroom, before peaking over to his nightstand. He narrowed his eyes, trying to get rid of the blurriness in his eyesight as he glanced at his alarm clock. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and waited for a few seconds, sighing with relief when he could finally make out what the numbers on his alarm clock were. However, his eyes quickly widened when he realised that it was nearing eleven o'clock in the morning.

He quickly scrambled out of bed, thinking he was going to run late for work, when he bumped straight into Sodapop, who had been about to knock at his older brother's bedroom door to check on him. Darry's speed sent Sodapop flying into the wall, hitting his back against it with a hiss.

Darry quickly crawled over to his younger brother. "Soda! Jesus Christ, I'm so sorry..." He ran a hand through his bed hair. "Are you alright?" he asked, helping the winded boy up.

Sodapop cringed but smiled at the same time. "Yeah, don't worry about me." He patted Darry's back twice to urge his older brother to let him go. "Where were you going in such a rush anyway?"

Darry stared at him, confused. "Soda, you know I have wor—"

"Darry," Sodapop incredulously said, "it's raining cats and dogs outside." Darry looked outside by the nearest window and, sure enough, it was heavily pouring rain. "You wouldn't have gone to work anyway with the rumble yesterday."

It dawned on him that Sodapop was right. "Oh," he lamely said. "Why'd you let me sleep in so late?"

Sodapop sadly smiled. "I kept you up last night. It's only fair that you get your sleep back." His smile turned grim and he looked down. "I'm sorry about last night, I—"

"Don't worry about it," Darry interrupted. "We're all fine now." He reassuringly smiled at Sodapop, and the younger brother smiled back. "Is Pony still asleep?"

Sodapop chuckled. "Oh, nah, he's in the living room with Two-Bit." As if on cue, Darry heard Ponyboy's rich laughter, closely followed by Two-Bit's, as the older boy told jokes and funny stories to the younger one. "As for Steve, he's gone with Dally, I think visiting Johnny."

Darry ran a hand through his hair again, letting it rest in his matted hair. "I should bring you and Two-Bit later. I think you'd both like seeing him."

Sodapop chuckled again. "I don't think Steve and Dally will like babysitting Ponyboy while we're gone." His smile faded. "Steve doesn't like him."

Darry was surprised that Sodapop had only noticed then, but at the same time, maybe the boy knew and just decided to subconsciously ignore the fact.

He nodded. "They've felt like that for a long time, Little Buddy." He stared at Sodapop's blank face, biting his lip when he didn't get a reaction out of the teen. "Dally won't mind watching him. He's been a little protective of Pony since the...accident."

Sodapop found himself chuckling. "A little? You don't even know half of it."

"Do I, Curtis?"

Both Sodapop and Darry turned to see Dallas Winston walk in the house, followed by Steve Randle, who was clutching his ribs. Ponyboy had also turned around, which allowed Two-Bit to tickle him in moment of inattention, causing the boy to howl and try to wriggle away while laughing.

Sodapop rushed over to Steve's side, ignoring Dallas' smoldering eyes, while Darry chided Two-Bit about being too rough with Ponyboy, to which the older boy protested but wisely didn't push the matter. He kept telling stories of his many encounters with blondes, making Ponyboy giggle.

"You need to sit down," Sodapop said, guiding Steve to the living room. Before he could get there, Steve gently pushed his hand away.

"I just need to lie down, man," Steve softly protested, and Sodapop instead guided him to his old bedroom, used for one of the gang whenever they got jumped.

Darry caught sight of Dallas, who was by then pushing Two-Bit off the couch to sit down next to the youngest boy. Ponyboy laughed while Two-Bit pouted on his spot on the floor. He tossed the coffee table away and settled on the floor, his head next to Ponyboy's, without hiding the boy's view from the television, where Mickey Mouse was playing.

"How you doin', Dally?" Ponyboy innocently asked the angered teen, who by then had calmed down a little. The Curtis house had that effect on him; whenever he needed to cool down, it was either get riled up and fight Tim Shepard, or go to the Curtis house, lately to check on Ponyboy.

Dallas shrugged. "Could be better." Ponyboy wisely didn't push the matter. He instead stared at the television, slightly smiling at Two-Bit's enthusiasm, caused by the animated mouse on the screen.

Dallas looked more closely at Ponyboy. The kid looked much happier without his memories, more carefree. Younger, dared he think. Of course, Ponyboy didn't have his best friend around, but in his state, he didn't even know he had a best friend. He found solace in Two-Bit Mathews, or strangely, in Dallas, to which the hood didn't quite understand. Maybe he wasn't uncaring as he thought he was.

Dallas found himself asking Ponyboy how he was doing. The question caught the boy off-guard, whose smile faded when looking at the hood. "Uh," he started, "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

It was Dallas' turn to be left speechless. This version of Ponyboy always seemed to ask the hardest questions and be completely oblivious to it, which didn't make things easier.

So he settled with a simple answer. "No reason, kid." Nothing else was said, until Darry asked Dallas to get in the kitchen at the same time as Sodapop waltzed in. Two-Bit resumed his previous spot on the couch, with Ponyboy's leg propped up on his thighs, leaving the three remaining boys to themselves in the kitchen.

"How was Johnny?" Darry lowly asked, making sure he was out of hearing for his youngest brother. Two-Bit could hear him, and he made sure that Ponyboy couldn't, turning the TV's volume a bit higher, joking that he was going deft.

Dallas cussed under his breath. "They wouldn't let us see him. They said it's 'cause it's Sunday. Fucking good for nothing fuzz."

Darry internally fought not to cuss as well. "Should've known." He gave a pointed look to Dallas. "And you should've known better than to bring Steve with you, with his injury. He could barely walk when you two came back."

Dallas shrugged. "Don't blame me, he's the one who wanted to tag along." He ignored Sodapop's own look. "Besides, we bummed a ride from Brumly. One of his crew got himself arrested for drug possession or something like that and he went there to cuss him out."

Darry shook his head. "Drugs," he muttered. He didn't need to say anything else; God only knows what drugs were and what they did to an individual.

Darry made his way to the living room, where both Ponyboy and Two-Bit were watching the TV in complete silence, which was rare for the latter. He put his hand on Ponyboy's shoulder, careful as to not scare him, but Ponyboy couldn't help the flinch. He looked up in his oldest brother's ice blue eyes, which seemed melted when looking at him.

"Hey, kiddo," Darry gently greeted. "Did you eat anything yet?"

Ponyboy shook his head. "No. I wasn't hungry." He muttered something that Darry didn't quite understand, so the oldest brother made him repeat. "I wanted to wait for you."

Darry smiled at his youngest brother's embarrassment and ruffled his hair. "C'mon, I'll help you up. I'll fix us both something to eat." Without another word, Darry picked his brother up and settled him down in his wheelchair, then wheeling him by the kitchen table. Dallas and Sodapop were both sitting there, half-heartedly playing a poker game, so Ponyboy silently watched them while Darry fixed something for lunch.

Sodapop watched his younger brother out of the corner of his eye. The boy looked quite happy, even with his condition and amnesia. He missed the old sarcastic and tough Ponyboy, but he relished the fact that this version of him was once again young and innocent.

He only wished it could stay that way.


	26. The Return (2)

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I apologize yet again for the long wait. I'm a lousy author. :( I lost a bit of interest and creativity in Early Fire, thus why I didn't update faster, and I hate myself for it,m because this story means a lot to me. It is a lousy, cruel Writer's Block and I am fighting it as hard as I can for you guys who stayed faithful throughout the whole story and my progress. I thank you all for that, I love you very much! **

**On with the review replies:**

**FrankElza: I'm glad to be back. :) I don't want Ponyboy to feel so lousy, I already tortured him with amnesia and broken limbs! I had trouble writing the Darry and Soda scene, I actually didn't imagine Sodapop flying in the wall, but after a few mesures, I figured it would work. I'm glad you thought so. :) Thank you for understanding, mate, and I am working on it now. :) xxx**

**GreaserG1rl201: I agree, I like protective Dally a lot! :) And I also find it cute when siblings wait for their older siblings or parents to eat, even though I've never done that as a child or known that feeling since I'm an only child. I really love how the chemistry between Darry and Pony is going at the very end of the Outsiders book so I want it in my story too. :)**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: I'm glad you're still reading it! I love sweet Dallas as well. :) I'll try to keep Heartbeat going for you and FrankElza and the other fans. :) Thank you!**

**mycookiegirl: It doesn't sound selfish. ;) I'm quite eager for him to get his memory back. Don't worry, I have that all planned out! Thank you for your review. :)**

**white collar black wolf: Why thank you! :)**

**Zarak: I'm very glad you are, thank you. :)**

**Lovetoread75: I like how everyone is protective of Ponyboy too. Even in The Outsiders, they all show a protective side, well, sort of. I like fanfics where that shows! Thank you. :)**

**Haleymay: Yay, new reviewer! :D I'm glad you enjoy this story, I hope you are still gonna follow it even though I am not as fast an updater as I wish I would be. :/ I understand what you mean about Johnny. It was my goal to make him that way. :) I don't mind your grammar, what matters to me is the fact that you read my story and like it! :) Thank you for the compliment and review! :)**

**WatchRain4898: Darling, what makes me laugh in your reviews are your first lines, the way you express your main (probably) emotion after having read my chapters. The way that you are not ashamed to show your reaction when you review, and the way you then put it in CAPS to make it more intense. xD And how can you not love the Curtis Brothers? They're my favorite siblings in history! I almost wish that he stays amnesiac too but my plot is built and it will not stay that way. :( But you'll get to enjoy innocent Pony for more chapters. ;) I hope you win the war! ;P Thank you for the review!**

**Victoria: Wow, thank you! :)**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you! :)**

**I have to admit that I am not pleased with the ending or the way I have written this chapter (not as please I would like to be) but I hope you guys enjoy! I am picking up the pace now to make this story a bit more interesting! I apologize again for the wait; I promise you I am working on the next chapter! Until then, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

"Don't worry, Ponyboy. You're gonna be fine."

The young boy could only gulp and nod, staring at the tall building in front of him, packed with hundreds of boys and girls around his age. Will Rogers High stood there mocking him, reminding him that he didn't remember anyone he knew or anything he learned within its walls before the previous events that left him scarred in so many ways..

He let Two-Bit Mathews guide him through the halls filled with curious students, all glancing at the boy in the wheelchair. Steve Randle trailed behind, glaring at anyone who dared look wrong at Ponyboy, who was quite nervous, what with being surrounded by dozens of strangers who all stared at him. Steve uncharacteristically patted the boy's shoulder, reminding him that he and Two-it were gonna help him through, which soothed the boy as he relaxed back in his chair and looked around the impressive halls of the school.

They first stopped at the secretary's office to ask for his class schedule, which Steve kept in his hands along with Ponyboy's backpack he had slung on his right shoulder. They made their way to Ponyboy's first class, which was English with Mr. Syme. Two-Bit remembered the aging teacher as a fair man who didn't believe in physical discipline and who believed in every student's potential.

They reached the class as soon as the bell rang, catching every student's attention as well as Mr. Syme's. The man merely smiled. "Ah, Mr. Curtis. So glad you could join us today."

Ponyboy simply nodded, nervously biting his lower lip. Two-Bit leaned in so he could whisper in Ponyboy's ear. "Where do you wanna sit, kid?"

Ponyboy looked around the room, noticing an empty desk in the last row, the first one on the front, which was also next to a window. He figured it would be easier and a better fit for him, not caring about the rich kids around him. "Over there," he answered, pointing to the seat. Two-Bit wheeled him there and settled the boy carefully, while Steve put his backpack on the floor within arm's reach and glared at the Socs, daring them to make a move on the boy.

"See ya later, kid," Two-Bit said, while Steve gave Ponyboy a half-wave and a nod to the teacher, who closed the door behind them. Mr. Syme turned and gave Ponyboy a genuine smile before starting his lesson of the day, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

Mr. Syme opened the door only to reveal one of the Socs who had tried to drown Ponyboy, Andrew Hill. The teen glared once he saw Ponyboy.

"You're in my seat," he barked, standing right next to Ponyboy in hopes of intimidating him.

The younger boy looked up at Andrew, trying to hide his nervousness as much as he could. "I-I can't really move..."

Andrew cussed at him. "You little smartass. I oughta show you—"

"You will not be showing him anything, Mr. Hill," the English teacher interrupted. "You may now take a seat in class so I can pursue my lesson."

Andrew shot him a look and grumbled under his breath before taking the seat right behind Ponyboy, which was also empty. He propped his feet against Ponyboy's wheelchair, making Ponyboy jump. The boy didn't turn around, knowing that if he gave the older boy attention, it would be worse.

How wrong he was.

During the whole class, Andrew made sure that he and his Soc friends gave Ponyboy hell. At one point, the Soc next to Ponyboy jabbed his pencil on Ponyboy's ribs, making him yelp in spite of himself. He tried to keep his cries, but Mr. Syme turned around after a few times.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Curtis?" he asked his young student, who was fidgeting in his seat.

Andrew spoke. "He's fine; he just banged his cast a few times on his desk. I offered help, but—"

"I believe I didn't ask you, Mr. Hill," the teacher said, sending him a look. He turned soft eyes at Ponyboy. "Now, is Andrew's story a lie, or did you really hurt yourself?"

Ponyboy felt eyes bore into his back, making him squirm and lower his head. "N-No, he was right...I didn't want his help." Somehow, Mr. Syme knew it was a lie, but he wasn't one to dwell on anything, so he chose to believe the boy and finish his lesson.

Five minutes before class ended, there was a knock at the teacher's door, just as Andrew slipped a piece of paper in one of Ponyboy's books, who was oblivious to it and to the other Socs' snickers. Mr. Syme let Two-Bit Mathews in the class, who had come to fetch Ponyboy and bring him to his next class before the flock of students invaded the halls. He hadn't noticed Andrew's gesture either, but still sent them a look.

Once outside the class, Two-Bit stood in front of Ponyboy, stopping at a secluded area near the boy's next class. "Did the Socs give you trouble, kiddo?" he asked the boy, who chose to lie.

"N-No, they were fine," Ponyboy answered, satisfied that he seemed to convince the older greaser. He knew that Two-Bit would ask him about class, so he added, "Class was fine. Teacher is nice."

Two-Bit grinned. "I liked that good ol' guy. About the only class I never got a detention in." Ponyboy laughed, momentarily forgetting about Andrew Hill, but the day was far from over, and he knew that it wasn't over with Andrew, either.

XxX

The first day of school had been rough on Ponyboy Curtis. He hadn't listened to a thing his teachers had told him all day, and had found himself in three of Andrew's classes. In History, there wasn't a sign of any greaser, so he was all alone. In Health class, he was also surrounded by Socs, and the greasers all seemed older than him by a few years, so he felt like a bother to them.

To make matters worse, he had to talk to his track coach about track, though it was obvious what the man would say; Ponyboy Curtis would be out for the season. And the boy did not like that, even though in his state, there was nothing he could do about it.

"Well, well," a familiar, cocky voice suddenly rang out, making Ponyboy's wheelchair halt and Two-Bit stand protectively in front of him. Steve stood behind him, clutching the boy's backpack tightly, getting ready to throw it down if a fight occurred.

"If it isn't Ponyboy Curtis and his greasy friends," Andrew said, standing next to Two-Bit with a smirk. "Hey, grease-ball."

"What the hell do you want?" Steve snapped, not in the mood to deal with Socs, or anyone, for that matter. Andrew threw his hands in mock surrender, smirk still present, if not bigger.

"My, we don't want any trouble," he cheekily said. Then he pointed to Ponyboy. "I wanna talk to the kid."

Ponyboy visibly paled while Steve growled and Two-Bit glared. "Never," the older greaser said. "You tell him here right now, and you get the fuck outta here, or you deal with the both of us."

"I think I'd like that," David said, joined Andrew and his gang while flexing his muscles. But before he could lunge, a female voice rang out.

"Stop!" David groaned before turning around, only to reveal Cherry Valance. "David, you promised me you would leave him alone!"

"Aw, c'mon, Cherry! You never cared before!" The other Socs agreed, completely ignoring the greasers, who didn't know what to do except stand there and watch the red-headed girl.

"I hate violence and you know it!" she snapped. Her eyes softened a bit. "You promised."

Andrew waved her off, his smirk cleared off. "Fine. But you," he jabbed a finger quickly at Ponyboy's chest, making the boy jump and stare at him with wide eyes, "you better watch your back, 'cause your friends aren't gonna be enough to protect your scrawny ass." He waved at his friends. "C'mon guys, we're outta here."

The three greasers watched the Socs walk away, before turning to the girl. She shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Ponyboy. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Ponyboy stared at her, confused. "Who are you?"

Cherry bit her lip, suddenly remembering having read in the paper that Ponyboy had lost his memory. "Right, you don't remember." She missed the look of hurt flashing in the boy's eyes. "I'm Cherry Valance. They call me Cherry because of my hair."

"You look like a Soc," was the first thing Ponyboy said. It took all of Two-Bit's seriousness not to laugh, while Steve snickered at the red-headed girl.

Cherry sighed. "I am, Ponyboy. But, I'm not like them."

Ponyboy stared at her. "What makes you so different?" His question was so innocent, yet had an accusatory tone. In his amnesiac state, he thought like any other typical greaser; that all the Socs were bastards and preppies.

Cherry thought for a second. What made her so different? Was it the fact that she wasn't ashamed of talking to greasers? No, that couldn't be—she couldn't even look them in the eye while in school, but now that she was outside and most students were gone, she didn't have to worry about that.

She realised she hadn't answered until she noticed that Ponyboy was staring at her, as if beckoning her to talk. Something then popped in her mind. "I watch sunsets," she softly answered, and without another word, she left the three boys in the parking lot, not once looking behind at those haunting greenish-grey eyes.

XxX

"Have a good day, sir."

Sodapop leaned against one of the pumps, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Today had been a busy day, with a lot of tinkering with cars, meaning a lot of time in the hot garage.

And he didn't particularly like it.

Sure, he liked spending time with Steve, and he liked working with his best friend, but in the garage, the heat was unbearable, and it made Steve cranky. On those days, Sodapop would rather be outside at the pumps.

He groaned as he heard the familiar flock of girls as they rushed toward him. This time, only Kristin, the leader, and Phoebe, the recruit, were there, but it was two girls too much.

He didn't have it in his heart to flirt with other girls while he had just been dumped. He wasn't the type of guy to move on in just a week, but he wouldn't know that, since Sandy had been his one and only steady girlfriend, whom he truly loved with all his heart. Or, what remained of it.

"Hey, Soda," Kristin purred, slyly wrapping one arm around his back and resting her other hand on his chest, slipping her leg between his in a teasing manner. "I heard you were single. How 'bout I...change that, tonight."

Sodapop merely sighed, looking uninterested. Kristin slid her hand lower until it was on his stomach, grabbing the hem of his shirt and riding it up his stomach, exposing his well defined muscles. As gently as he could even though he was getting annoyed, he slapped her hand away, adjusting his shirt before turning his back on her.

She threw a disbelieving look at Phoebe, as if asking, _how could he reject such a hot girl?_ She turned him around. "Now now, hun, it's just fun and games. I'm sure you wanna play." She winked at him.

"Look, Kristin, I don't care about you and I never will! Now, leave or I'll make you leave." Under Kristin's shocked expression, he easily shrugged her off before storming in the shop, where a concerned Steve was standing.

Steve had been standing by the window, taking a small break after an hour of hard work, watching how his best friend dealt with the annoying chick. To say he was shocked by the end was the understatement of the year. He knew that Sodapop's behavior was Sandy's fault, and he knew that his attitude must've been caused by her break up, but the teen had never been harsh to any girl or woman, even during the worst times he had been through.

"You okay, bud?" he asked Sodapop once the teen had settled down behind the counter. He watched as Sodapop leaned his face in his hands, elbows resting against the counter, running his hands through his hair.

Sodapop sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

And Steve instantly knew. Tired of struggling with Sandy's break up, tired of struggling with bills, and tired of Ponyboy's amnesia. His friend only wanted things to be normal, but deep down, the both of them knew that normal no longer existed.

So instead, Steve walked over to him and rested his hand on Sodapop's shoulder. "How 'bout we hang out tonight? Just you and me. I'll bring you back home in time for work tomorrow, but tonight, you need a break."

Sodapop looked up at his friend when Steve patted his shoulder, and shot him a small smile. "Sure."

And just like that, they were back to work.


	27. The Sorrow

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I promised I would work faster on my story for you guys, and so far I have kept to my promise! Also, I have recieved nothing but encouraging words from you guys in the reviews that you so kindly left me, so I can't thank you enough for how nice of you that was! I am now more determined to keep this story going than I have ever been before!**

**As for the reviews, here are my replies:**

**BunnyluvsU: Thank you! :) &amp; let us hope so. ;)**

**FrankElza: Thank you so much, darling! xxx I was looking forward to having Cherry into the story once again! And I really love Mr. Syme in the book, so I'm trying to make him how I portray him, as a fair teacher who spared detentions to Two-Bit. ;) As for Andrew, well, he may be my OC but I still hate him! He's a bastard to Pony and anyone who's a bastard to Pony, well, me no like! :P As for Heartbeat, and this is a message to EVERYONE: I am halfway through with the next chapter! It might still take a while before I can update it, but I will certainly update!**

**white collar black wolf: Thank you :) I hope so too, it is hard to write an amnesiac boy but I hope it's worth it!**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you! :)**

**MiniHorseMeadow: Aww, thank you! :)**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank you! I think my favorite part also had to be Two-Bit because I think that was the chapter that I portrayed him the most like the book. :)**

**Jessieklove: Yay, you're back! :D **

**WatchRain4898: I will get into an agreement with you: if your review makes me laugh, I will tell you why, got it? Now, the beginning of this one made me laugh because my main language happens to be French and I think that "THOSE ASSHOLE SOC'S" wasn't even slightly French. :P I just love that expression though! But I agree with you, the Socs are cruel beings. :( I also loved protective Steve for once! And I could relate since I have moved schools twice, including high school, and I pretty much felt like him! Thank you so much for the review! And I would NEVER abandon it, not when I have amazing reviewers and so many chapters left. :)**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Thank you so much! &amp; I would never quit, I cross my heart that this story will be finished one day. :)**

**Amanda: Aww, gee, you made me cry it was so nice! I never thought about "putting my thoughts into words", but now that you mentioned it, I do feel like it is my writing style! Thank you so much! :') I wish you could create an account and stop being a guest so I could actually thank you more. :)**

**FangirlDaydreams1402: I am glad that I have a new reader and someone who likes my story. :) I did doubt it and I still honestly do, but what sixteen year old teenager girl doesn't have doubts about her future once in a while? Still, your review was very nice and also made me tearful, those were very encouraging words of you and I appreciate it. :) Thank you so much!**

**Lovetoread75: The Socs are rutheless and will not stop bothering him. :( They're very cruel. Except Cherry. I am trying to make her a bit nicer, maybe feeling guilty. ;) She deserves the guilt. And Steve, I used to hate him, but I now realise what he has done for Sodapop and he's a vital part of the gang, so it helps me write him a bit better. Thank you! :)**

**mycookiegirl: Pony is always being harassed, but he has Two-Bit, Steve at school and the rest of the gang around him to protect him! :) As for Soda, well, he has already done something he regrets, so let us hope that he won't get worse instead of better! Thank you! :)**

**Wow, 13 reviews! Thank you, guys! :)**

**Now, for the updates, I don't know how it will work, because I start school in two weeks and it will be my Senior year, so I will try to succeed in it. Also, I start my driver's ed next Monday, so I will honestly mainly focus on that. For now, though, I will update as fast as I can! Bear with me on this one, guys!**

**Also, I feel like a certain someone will be OOC (in the second part) but I hope he won't be too much!**

**Warning: cliffhanger and slight mention (more of a hint) of non-graphic rape, because I am a sadistic bitch at times and I feel like this will spike the story a little bit. :D Don't say I didn't warn you when you give me your protests! ;) For now, R &amp; R, and enjoy!**

XxX

_Where the hell is he?_

Darry was pacing back and forth in the living room, waiting for Sodapop to come home. It was now eleven, and, although Darry knew that Sodapop's curfew was twelve, the teen always respected it, especially ever since he started working. Even though he still had an hour left, Darry was mad that he didn't know about Sodapop going out at all.

Apparently, neither did Ponyboy, who was currently lying on the couch, having been situated there after a nightmare that left him shaken and demanding where his missing brother was. Darry dully thought that Ponyboy wanted to spend more time with Sodapop than with him, even in his amnesiac state, so he lied down next to the boy, smoothing his hair until he could feel his breathing even out. He glanced at the boy, who had dried tear tracks on his face, before gazing back at the floor, resuming his pacing.

The sudden slam of their front door echoed in both the living room and the two present Curtis brothers' heads, followed by a string of curses. Darry only stood there as Sodapop stormed in his bedroom, swearing all the way, followed by a guilty-looking Steve, who nervously stared at the oldest Curtis, knowing he would be in trouble had he messed with Sodapop in the wrong way.

But, Darry ignored him and followed his brother, leaving a confused Ponyboy with Steve as the two older brothers stopped in Ponyboy and Sodapop's room.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Darry blasted as soon as he had Sodapop cornered, softly yet annoyingly closing the door behind him. He stared at Sodapop with a mixture of worry and warning in his eyes, whereas Sodapop's reflected anger and a hint of guilt. "Ponyboy had a nightmare and you weren't even there. In fact, you haven't been here at all! Not even for dinner, and you didn't let out a word about it! Where were you?"

Sodapop's glare loosened as he thought of an excuse, but he was a bad liar, and he didn't feel like arguing with Darry, so he told the truth.

AKA, having been set up by his best friend, who brought him on a double date with one of his fan girls.

Darry sprawled his palm exasperatingly on his face, inhaling deeply and breathing out. "I don't have time for this," he muttered to himself. He pointed a finger at Sodapop's chest. "You know not to go out too long, _without_ even telling me about it as well. Your brother needs you here, whether he even remembers you or not. Was this 'double date' so important that you had to miss dinner with us, among not telling anyone of us where you were going? Uh? I'd like you to answer that, Sodapop!"

Darry expected the teen to rebel and scream at him. He expected Sodapop to shout back and reply in a way that would get him grounded. He expected his brother to cuss at him and maybe even put the blame on his friend, even though Sodapop was a selfless person.

But, what Darry had told him had gotten to him, and Darry had _not_ expected Sodapop to burst into tears.

Darry was at a loss for words as he saw his younger brother break down in front of him, muttering apologies without ever looking him in the eye.

"M'sorry, Darry," the teen brokenly sobbed, sounding much younger than he actually was. "S'just that I miss her so much and he fixed me up with another girl who pissed me off and I wasn't ready and I'm just tired of everything I-I want Pony to be fine and I wanna just forget her and I want Johnny outta prison and I—" he breathed in, "I want things to be normal again!"

The oldest Curtis quickly wrapped his arms around Sodapop, squeezing the boy in a loving embrace. "Oh, Sodapop…you should've said so earlier, Pepsi Cola; you can't keep things bottled up inside." He rubbed the sobbing teen's back, feeling his shirt get wet by Sodapop's tears but not bringing himself to care in the least.

He held his brother that way until he could feel him relax in his arms, occasionally sniffling but otherwise much calmer than he was a few moments before. Darry squeezed again before slightly pulling away, resting one hand on his shoulder as the other cupped his chin and lifted it, making him look him in the eye.

"Now, Sodapop, I want you to listen to me," he told the still sniffling boy, who nodded at him while biting his lip. "Things are gonna get better, but they're gonna get worse before they do, and you gotta work with me on this one. Ponyboy doesn't remember you yet but he looks up to you as much as he did before he lost his memory. When he has nightmares, I want you to be there for him, and you need to take care of him as much as I take care of the both of you."

"As for Sandy," he squeezed Sodapop's shoulder as the teen tried to protest, "she dumped you, little brother. She doesn't deserve a boyfriend like you, much less a guy so understanding. I get that you were willing to take care of her child even if it wasn't yours, but you have to accept that she didn't love you enough to accept your proposition. You're a devoted young man and you've got the looks," he smiled as Sodapop laughed in agreement, "so you'll easily get another girl when the time is right. For now, keep your devotion to this family, because Ponyboy needs you, and I need you too."

Sodapop nodded before burying his face into Darry's chest and hugging him tightly. "I know," he muttered, his voice muffled but still clear enough for Darry to hear. "I'm sorry, Darry."

Darry crushed him into another tight hug, running his fingers through the teen's messy hair. "It's okay, Sodapop. It's gonna be okay."

He let go of the embrace and left Sodapop alone in the room to get ready for bed, while he joined his baby brother and Steve in the living room. "Darry?" Ponyboy asked upon seeing his oldest brother, "Is Soda gonna be okay?"

Darry smiledat his baby brother, sitting down on the couch and pulling him into a one-arm hug, letting the boy's head rest against his chest as he was sat on his lap. Ponyboy looked up at him, shock written on his face but soon replaced by content as he snuggled up to the oldest Curtis, who ran his fingers through the soft auburn locks of the youngest boy. "Yeah, he's gonna be alright. It's time to go to bed now, Little Colt."

"Mhmm," Ponyboy drowsily mumbled, only snuggling up closer to the young man. Darry chuckled, glancing at Steve, who was awkwardly standing on the sidelines with his hands in his pocket and his head lowered down.

Darry cleared his throat, quietly so he wouldn't wake Ponyboy, who had fallen asleep in his arms, but loud enough to alert Steve that he wanted a word. He looked at the young mechanic right in the eye. "Sodapop told me what happened earlier tonight, and while it makes me mad to know that you pulled a stunt as stupid as that, I know why you did." He motioned the teen over, seeing as he was a bit occupied with Ponyboy, and patted Steve's shoulder.

"I appreciate all that you do to help us; for Ponyboy and for Sodapop mainly. I would advise to keep your distance from Sodapop for a few days until he's ready to forgive you and talk to you about tonight, but the couch is still yours whenever your old man gives you hell. Sodapop wouldn't deny you our house in time of need even if he's upset because of you, but I don't doubt that you had a reason behind this. I hope it was worth it."

He squeezed Steve's shoulder—a little too tightly for the mechanic's comfort—before holding Ponyboy bridal style and carrying him to the boy's bedroom, leaving Steve alone in the living room, wordless.

XxX

I sighed as I stepped into the shower, ignoring the voice of the cop who called the time to me. Three minutes wasn't all great for a proper shower, but I usually took quick showers at the Curtis' so I wouldn't use their hot water much, so I didn't mind taking quick ones here too.

I let the water soothe my battered body as I stood under the lukewarm spray of water, frantically scrubbing my hair to rid it of any grease. I hadn't taken a shower in two days—or three, because time seemed indefinite in jail—, and as far as I could tell, it wasn't hair grease I had in my head, it was natural oil, and, added to the grit on my body, I was in desperate need of a cleaning.

I dried up and dressed up in the prison's uniform just in time for my guard to call that the three minutes were up. I quietly groaned to myself as he cuffed me and led me to the cafeteria for dinner. He unlocked my cuffs and shoved me in before closing the door behind the both of us, and I made my way in the waiting line.

I only had time to reach it before I was shoved back out of the line. The shove caught me off-guard, so I fell on the hard floor right on my backside. I looked up as people suddenly surrounded me in a fairly large circle, laughing at me. One in particular took a step toward me, showing off who was the one who shoved me, and I recognized him instantly.

Jack McCarthy, a middle class guy of seventeen years old and with chocolaty, curly brown hair and hazel eyes, who thought that he was cool enough to hang out with the Socs. Of course, no one minded him, until one day he jumped a random greaser. He caught Bob's attention and was in his gang two days later. He had helped Bob jump me months ago in the lot.

He laughed at the expression on my face, then charged. I didn't even have the time to move before he grabbed the collar of my uniform and lifted me up, his face inches away from mine, teeth pulled into a vicious snarl.

"I don't understand," he began, "how Bob is six feet under while YOU are still walking on this planet, without any damn justice done! You're nothing but scum and you deserve to take his place." I willed myself to keep my cool, but his words were starting to upset me, to anger me.

"He's not deserving of Bob's place," another guy stepped in, whose name I didn't bother remembering. "He deserves his own place; in hell!" The others roared with laughter, Jack included, while he shook me, and that was the last straw.

With a scream, I cuffed him in the face as hard as I could, catching him off-guard. He fell on the floor, dragging me along with him since he still had his grip on my uniform. He turned us around in a flash and sat on my stomach, his left knee digging on my side. He shouted at the others, who each grabbed my arms and legs, leaving me defenceless.

Jack's own scream resonated in the dining area before he started pounding me with punches thrown everywhere; my face, my head, my shoulders, my arms, my chest, my sides. Pain erupted in my face as he punched the same spot two times, leaving one heck of a shiner that I could already feel swelling, what with having my eyes closed.

I struggled, in vain. I couldn't get the others' grips to let go of me, and I was powerless, lying under Jack, who, by now, had stopped punching me.

I was shaking from fear, my adrenaline from punching him long gone, his words now hurting me instead of angering me.

Someone kicked me in the head, and my eyes widened. I gasped in pain, but the pain was gone in less than a second, leaving me feeling like I was floating. I knew that my body was in extreme pain, but I didn't feel any of it.

The last thing I felt before passing out was the zipper of my uniform being undone and hands lightly brushing down my chest.


	28. The Suspense

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**First off, I wanna reply to my reviews before I proceed:**

**MiniHorseMeadow: I hope it didn't make you cry! But thank you!**

**mycookiegirl: I really love your reviews, as always! Anyone can be tough, but it takes a little something to make them break down and lose their barriers, which happened to Sodapop a lot in the previous chapters. I assure you, he's gonna be fine. ;) As for Johnny, well, I can't promise anyone anything about him, but I can promise you this; the road is gonna get bumpy before it becomes smoothe again. Anyway, thank you! :)**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Everyone are bastards to me when they hurt Johnny and Pony! But it's for the sake of the plot... ;) Buuuut, ~Stands alongside her and holds her own switchblade~ it still makes me just as mad! Is it normal to hate your own OC characters? Anyway, thank you, and I'm glad you loved it! :)**

**BunnyLuvsU: I'm glad you still love me. ;) Ponyboy will remember soon, I promise! Just not gonna tell you how soon he will! Thank you! :)**

**white collar black wolf: Thank you!**

**GreaserGirl201: I'm really glad you liked it, I thought maybe Soda was being too babyish but I'm glad you liked it! Thank you! :)**

**Amanda: That's great! I finally have a face to the name! :P If that makes any sense, since we don't see our faces here! And thank you! :)**

**FrankElza: Thank you, darling. :) xx As always, your reviews is refreshing and enlightening. It was one of my favorite chapters to write because I knew it would cause reactions and nothing feels greater for a writer than feeling the power of your own words within the palm of your hands (and within the keys of your keyboard). Thank you once again for the review and I hope to hear news from you soon. :)**

**Jessieklove: Enjoy!**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you! :)**

**Lovetoread75: Thank you very much for your detailed review! You know how much I love those! ;) Anyway, yes, I'm aware that I'm torturing Johnny but the plot just keeps getting angstier and angstier (if that word exists. Oh well) Hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

**FangirlDaydreams1402: Wow, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! :)**

**WatchRain4898: It's alright, you know I always love your reviews no matter what! ;) *hands over tissues* awwww, there you go! :o I'm glad that you really got into the chapter so much, and I'm glad that you loved it! Thank you! :)**

**Now, as for the notes, I want to appologize for the long wait. It goes like this:**

**As you guys know, I started my driver's ed after posting the previous chapter. Being as stressed as I was, I wanted to focus on that class before doing anything else. I have now finished that class, shamefully not successfully, but I am currently studying and making efforts to pass the test and have my license for good!**

**Also, I have been getting very sick lately. Don't worry, it's not anything like cancer or a grave illness, but three weeks ago I was struck with a fever that left me very miserable, followed by Diarrhea (which wasn't cool since it was my first time ever catching that). Also, my throat has been bothering me since last Sunday, and if it still does this Monday, I will go get it checked at the clinic. It also makes me feel miserable because I have a cold on top of that. ****Last week was also my official start in school and I have gotten very busy already, with tons of projects and inscriptions in comitys, and I'm vice-president of the school paper (!) so that has gotten me pretty occupied.**

**And last of all, last weekend I had an emotional breakdown because I felt so choked up already, like I was thrown in a forrest and left there to fend for myself without any material or explanation as to what to do, without any guide to help me. I spent that weekend crying and apologizing and you get the idea. So, overall, I'm extremely sorry for the delay, but I haven't been able to put my mind to writing, up until now. I feel fairly better now and I'm back on track!**

***The most important thing is that this story is closing to an end. Don't press the panic button yet, though! There will be a definite sequel, most probably after Christmas. I just felt like this story was getting too long, and I would've ended up with about 60 chapters total, and I didn't want that so not as to discourage anyone. There will be a definite sequel called Burning Fire around after Christmas, and up until then, I have two more chapters to go! R &amp; R, and I really hope you enjoy!**

XxX

Dallas grunted as he was slammed face first on the hood of a police car, his hands cuffed behind his back. He rolled his eyes as he heard the familiar words, "You are under arrest for..." not bothering to listen to the reason. With luck, it would be something new to add to his rep sheet, and he would definitely brag about it the second he would be out.

The ride to the police station was short for the two-headed teen, who was used to it by then. Jail was like another home; he was fed—although the food at the Curtis' was ten times better—and had his own room for free. This time, he could add having a real buddy close to him—Johnny. It wasn't the best way to visit him, but the visit would last longer than a mere hour.

He didn't utter a word when he was asked what he had done this time, making the cop questioning him groan. He asked the cop who had arrested Dallas—which turned out to be Dodge—and with a wave of his hand, sent the hood to his cell.

"Here you go," Dodge said, shoving the teen in the cell, unlocking the cuffs from his wrists in the speed of light. "Dinner's in twenty. Until then, you gotta chill in here. I'm sure you don't have a problem with that." The man ignored Dallas as he flipped him off, and smirked, heading back to his office.

The wait was fairly long; Dallas admitted to himself that it wasn't because he was hungry—since he wasn't—but because he was anxious to see Johnny. The boy obviously didn't fare well in jail, and Dallas would make it his duty to protect him, although subtly so not as to cause the boy more trouble by making him look weak.

When dinner time came, he was close to hopping on his feet, instead walking straight ahead with his chin high and a glare on his face, daring anyone to mess with the "new guy". Indeed, nobody did, and he casually stood in line, waiting for the disgusting food to be delivered to him.

He stole glances around the cafeteria, disappointed but suspicious when he noticed that Johnny wasn't sitting anywhere. Figuring that the boy was in the line, he looked ahead, not spotting any jet-black haired kid in front, so he waited to get seated so he would be able to look at the hoods and prisoners who had been standing behind him.

He grew more sceptical as he stared, not finding the younger boy anywhere in line, or even after it. He growled, wondering to himself what the cops had done to Johnny, but mentally scolded himself when he realised that the boy was in a secluded cell, meaning he wouldn't be able to get out to get his food, that it would instead be delivered to his cell.

With a scowl, he sat there, listening to the other hoods' conversations without care, until the guy sitting next to him turned around. Dallas immediately recognized him as one of the Tiber Street Tigers, vicious gang from the outer east side, even more dangerous than Tim Shepard's gang.

The guy—Crash was his nickname—was grinning at him as he roughly pat him on the back, and Dallas numbly thought that Crash didn't look so dangerous right there. Jail for the Tiber Street Tigers was like heaven; a room, food and clothes that were all handed to them. They could handle a few jackass cops, but they'd purposely get in trouble just to get locked up and "live the life".

"Hey, man," he gruffly greeted the Tiger, taking another bite out of the gross porridge that was called "dinner".

"When'd you get here?" Crash coolly asked him, eager to hear how the most famous hood of Tulsa had been doing. For him, Dallas was the chief of all hoods, the meanest, the tuffest, the smartass, and the coolest. Going from gang to gang, getting involved in every fight he could think of, and winning every single one of them with his hands tied behind his back.

Dallas shrugged. "Just got here. M'tired already." He chuckled to himself.

Crash snapped his fingers. "Well, shoot. You just missed all the action. Happened a minute ago."

Dallas raised an eyebrow, a trick he had shamefully caught from his side-burned buddy. "Why should I give a damn? I'll get plenty o' action while I'll be here."

" 'Cause it's the first time it ever happened 'round here. Couple o' guys gang-raped a kid right in front of us. What a sight to get ya to stop eating, man! Anyway, get that; kid's a murderer and he didn't even protect himself against them!"

Dallas' blood ran as cold as ice. He could only think of one kid. He tried to act indifferent. "Murderer? Ain't ever heard of a kid murdering someone in Tulsa. Who's he?"

"Dude, that was all over the news!" Crash pointed out. "Black hair, black eyes, 'bout this high—" he put his hand in a reasonable distance from the floor, picturing the boy's height, "darker skin. I think it's Johnny Cake or something. Weird name for a killer, eh?"

XxX

"Mr. Matthews? May we talk?"

Two-Bit groaned as one of his teachers called him from where he was in the hall. Ponyboy had mentioned that he hadn't felt so good, so the teen had taken him out of class before it could even start and had wheeled him to the bathroom, where the boy had puked. After an argument over bringing the boy over to the Curtis house or not, Two-Bit had won and had proceeded in bringing the boy home where he'd take better care of him there.

However, he had been stopped when the boy had wanted a drink from the fountain, and a few moments later, had been halted by his math teacher, Mr. Roger.

Two-Bit glanced pointedly at Ponyboy. "I have to bring him home, sir. He's sick."

Mr. Roger frowned, looking at the boy, noting his student's observation, which was correct. Still, it was important. "He can wait for a few moments, Mr. Matthews. I have serious matters to discuss."

Now was Two-Bit's turn to frown at the teacher, sceptical. "Don't you have a class to teach right now? 'Cause it's kinda important that I bring the kid home."

"I feel fine, Two-Bit," Ponyboy protested, followed by a wince as he clutched his stomach.

"You're obviously not," Two-Bit pointed out, making the boy roll his eyes.

"It will just be for a few," Mr. Roger insisted, "and I have an empty classroom at the moment. I can have another teacher look over Ponyboy while we talk—in private, may I add."

"Now hold up," Two-Bit protested, "I'm not leaving him here alone, and he's not gonna be comfortable with a teacher watching him. I gotta bring him home; I'll be back if it means so much to you." Both knew that those were lies, but Mr. Roger was persistent. He glanced at Ponyboy again before staring back at the older teen.

"I will not have another chance. Come, now. The boy will be fine."

Two-Bit turned to face Ponyboy with a defeated look on his face. "Fine. You stay here, kiddo. Got it?"

Ponyboy smiled reassuringly at him. "Sure, Two-Bit. I can't really go anywhere anyway."

Two-Bit paused, shaking his head with a chuckle. He ruffled the boy's hair. "Ya little smartass. I'll be back in a sec."

As he heard Ponyboy's laughter while walking with his math teacher, Two-Bit smiled to himself, proud of being a good friend to the boy. Like Mr. Roger had said, a teacher would take care of the youngest Curtis while the two would talk. There was no risk for something wrong to happen.

Meanwhile, Ponyboy sat next to the water fountain, waiting for his friend to be back. He absentmindedly clutched his stomach a few times, feeling nauseous again, but it faded away as soon as it came, so the boy thought nothing of it.

However, after two minutes of waiting, a shiver crept up his spine. He frowned to himself when he realised that it wasn't from the cold, but he felt someone's presence behind him. Thinking it was the teacher that was supposed to watch him—taking two minutes to reach him, what a slow-poke—, he turned around with a polite smile, but his facial expression turned into one of surprise and fear at the person standing behind, and now in front of him.

Andrew Hill.

"Lookie who's here, boys." the Soc smirked, and Ponyboy was confused as to who the older teen was talking to, seeing as he was alone, when he suddenly felt pressure on the back of his neck. He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut and swallowing nervously as he opened them again, now seeing four Socs instead of only Andrew.

The pressure on his neck was released, and he took a deep, shuddery breath. "W-What do you want?" he asked as bravely as he could, which wasn't much, considering that Steve was in class, Two-Bit was too far away, and no teacher was showing signs of showing up anytime soon.

He was alone, and that scared him.

"We told you to watch your back," Andrew said, "or didn't you read your little note?"

Ponyboy fought off his fear to replace it by confusing. "W-What note? I didn't get a—"

Ponyboy was interrupted by pressure on his neck again, making him halt in his words and groan, followed by a lone whimper. Andrew grabbed the boy's English text book and shook it, making a small piece of paper fall out. He then grabbed Ponyboy's chin and forced the book to look up at him while he read it.

"Says here: _Hey, kid. You better watch your back around here, 'cause you never know what might be behind you. Signed: Your friendly Soc neighbor, Andrew._ Isn't that nice of me?"

Ponyboy inwardly shook, hoping that his fear didn't show, but he had no idea what was going to happen to him. He truly didn't know what was behind him, but he wasn't looking forward to find out.

Much to his horror and dismay, he was turned around, now facing the water fountain.

Andrew motioned for the other two Socs to grab Ponyboy's arms and hoist him up, making the boy start struggling. The fourth Soc slammed his knee in the boy's already sore stomach, making him cough in pain, tears leaking from his closed lids.

Andrew's smirk intensified. "You're sick, eh?" Ponyboy didn't dare answer, just weakly looking into the Soc's eyes as they glared daggers at him. "How 'bout a bath, uh? Looks like you need one." He nodded to the fourth Soc, and he grabbed Ponyboy's pressure point behind his neck, making Ponyboy gasp. The fourth Soc flicked the water fountain on, making the water forcefully land in Ponyboy's mouth.

Ponyboy started coughing and struggling, but it was no use, as the water was going everywhere: in his mouth, in his nose, on his eyes. He was powerless and already weak from his casts and his tender stomach, so his fighting was no use. Just as he felt like he would die, he was pulled away from the fountain, the grip on his neck loosening.

He coughed, falling on his knees despite the two Socs holding his arms. He tried to bury his face in arm, or shoulder, but it was hard when it was being held against his will in an uncomfortable position, so he coughed without support until his throat was raw.

"Think you got your lesson?" Andrew seethed, grabbing Ponyboy's jaw in a bruising grip and making the boy look him in the eye. "Uh? Didja learn it, grease-ball?" Ponyboy wheezed, trying to gather enough breath to answer, but all he could do was pull his teeth in a sneer and close his eyes to concentrate on the precious oxygen he so desperately needed.

"I don't think he got it," the fourth Soc said, smirking while flicking the fountain on and off. Ponyboy gulped in horror, shaking from all over, fright taking control over his body. _Not again, please, not again..._

But the process was repeated, and he was once again being drowned, this time while also being hit on the chest, stomach and sides so it would be harder for him to breathe. He couldn't even manage to cry for help, for the water was completely rendering him speechless and helpless. Hearing a familiar yet distant voice calling out his name, he drifted off, losing his fight against his tormenters as darkness surrounded him.


	29. The Darkness

**A/N: I shouldn't even "Hey, guys!" to you I'm so ashamed.**

**I am so. SORRY.**

**I did NOT plan on missing out on all these months and leaving you guys hanging! I wouldn't blame you if you stopped following me cause I was too damned slow.**

**To my defense, I did update my profile and explain to you guys in detail what happened all those months. I apologize if I haven't posted a small A/N here, but I didn't want you guys to think that I was gonna give up this story. There is NO WAY I am giving this up, not after everything it's been through and all the joys I have had reading and answering your reviews. Which I will be doing right now:**

**Pony-Edward-Lucas'Girl: I am so not getting used to this new name :P I miss you a lot too, Jesus Christ I am a bad person to have conversations with, it's been forever! I hope everything is going well for you, and thank you for the kind review. :)**

**white collar black wolf: Thank you :) Hope the wait was worth it.**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank you! Jesus, I hope you didn't give up on this story with all the waiting!**

**Jessieklove: Thank you for reviewing. :)**

**mycookiegirl: I agree, stupid teacher! I oughta pull some Mr. North misery on him ;) Thank you for the review. :)**

**MiniHorseMeadow: He really is, I should learn how to cut him some slack, especially in this story. :P Don't blame Two-Bit, blame the teacher for being so damned insistent!**

**Zarak: He sure is!**

**Amanda: OUR BABY BOY! :P**

**Guest: And I'm happy to be in the school's paper ;) Thank you so much for the review!**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you. :)**

**Lovetoread75: This chapter IS a little lighter as you wished but no revenge. :( All in due time! ;) I was aiming for intense, so I'm glad I achieved it! Thank you!**

**LetMeChooseAFreakingName: It does suck, thank you for the get well wish! :)**

**FrankElza: Hey darling! I'm sorry I've been absent all that time. It does suck, but it's better now! Andrew's comment was meant to be fitting, which makes him more of a bastard. I hate my own character xD One can't even put themselves in Dally's shoes since he's so unpredictable, especially when he learns that. Thank you for the nice review and I hope you didn't give up on me yet. xxx**

**Guest (chapter 15): Someone has, thank you! :)**

**Guest 14: I hope you didn't die. **

**Anchinesh: I hope you're not mad! If you can sign in, I'd wish to PM you! A new reviewer always excites me!**

**kill jackunel: Because this is my story and I can, darling. ;) I hope this chapter satisfies you, and I apologize for the long wait!**

**There, that settles the reviews! Wow, 16 for the previous chapter plus one more! Thank you! I hope you haven't gave up on me in all those months! I promise to try and update more! I know I haven't respected my previous promises and you might be skeptical and you can hate me for that but I ask of you to please go on my profile and read my two notes! It sums up how I've felt!**

**I would like to point out that this chapter is different than my normal writing style, as I have been accepted to University in Creative Writing and I am trying to find out my precise style, but this chapter is also special and some parts sum up what I have been feeling in the past few months that I have gone MIA from Fanfiction. I hope you guys forgive me, but most of all, I hope you enjoy this chapter while waiting for the last, remaining one! I have the plot for it all finalized and done, so y'all shouldn't have to wait 4 months for it! I hope for you and for myself that you don't! Now, R &amp; R and enjoy! :)**

XxX

Everything was hazy.

He felt like he was floating, but he couldn't see how. As a matter of fact, he couldn't _see_.

He was surrounded by complete darkness. Eyes closed, eyes opened; all he could see was pitch black in every corner of his vision. If there were corners to begin with.

He felt like he was stuck in limbo. He couldn't feel anything. Emotions sounded foreign to him, and movement seemed distant in mind. He wasn't sure he even had a body, and with no rational thinking to prove it, he had no lead to where he was.

Or, _if _he was.

Then, suddenly, something flickered out of the corner of his left eye.

Light.

Dim at first, a tiny spot surrounded by darkness, just like him. And then, bright.

As if coming straight toward his location.

It grew bigger, and brighter, and…closer.

Until it created a shape, floating in front of him.

_"...Ponyboy…"_

Suddenly, he could feel. His fingers tingled, blood freely flowing in; his feet touched something he was yet to decipher. His mouth was slightly opened, lips cracked from the dryness on his skin, nose sharply breathing in tight air. His light tufts of auburn hair were softly brushing the sides of his youthful face, and his greenish-gray eyes…

…were looking at a woman.

More precisely, a blonde haired woman, with eyes identical to his, reflecting his own skinny, sickly form, yet he was glowing just as bright.

And then, she spoke. _"...You have changed, my sweet little Ponyboy…"_ Her eyes now reflected her growing, cold sadness, though her smile spilled warmth around the still dark place.

He could feel the woman's love seep through his veins, but no recognition lighted up his mind. "Do…do I know you?" Hesitation clouded his features, and then, "Should I?"

The woman's lips pursed, and she closed her eyes, her smile now just as sad as her eyes. The air around her seemed to change, though he couldn't tell how, until he found himself in a meadow. _"...You have changed so much…"_

They were standing on rich, green grass, stretched in endless hills, painted over a clear, colored sky. Over the horizon, the setting sun was surrounded by blotches of a fading orange-yellowish shade, blending in with a mesmerizing red, followed by a blushing pink and painting the rest of the sky around with a beautiful purple.

The sight in itself was jaw-dropping, but it made the woman glow ten times brighter, drawing his attention back to her shining eyes. She warmly smiled at him, her hand slowly reached out for him.

_"...You should, but don't worry…"_ And as her hand brushed his face to cup his chin, he felt his eyes droop. _"…everything will be alright…"_

And her warm hand gently pressed on his cold chest above his heart. He sucked in a heavy breath, and the scenery completely changed.

Everything was blurry, but his hearing was clear, as sharp as a well-kept knife. He was aware that he was on his back against a solid yet oddly soft surface, and he couldn't seem to draw in any air.

The footsteps and shouts around him would've overwhelmed him if not for the fact that he was focusing on one sole thing.

Breathing.

His own gasps and wheezes reached his ears as his mouth was popped open as wide as he could manage in his weakened state, but his throat only tightening in on him.

He felt hands on his upper back and abdomen, and the sudden motion of being sat up left him dizzy and disoriented. His eyesight was blurry, darting left and right to try to focus on one point to gain his vision back, without luck.

"…Ponyboy…!" He could faintly hear his name being called throughout all the commotion, but he couldn't make out where the voice came from, or whose it was.

He felt a strange yet familiar feeling lodge itself in his throat, and before he could stop himself, he was coughing. And coughing.

And coughing.

And he couldn't stop.

The coughs racked his body forward and he squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring the feeling of his shirt riding on his back in circles as someone soothingly rubbed it to get him to stop. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, suddenly feeling the soreness as he kept coughing, tears escaping his eyelids.

His heart was pounding in his chest in thousands of rapid, tiny beats, and he faintly registered his shoulders being shook. Darkness was closing in on him again and he desperately fought to stay awake, to _breathe, damn it. _

And suddenly, finally, it all stopped.

He wheezed, gasped, and then he could breathe.

He relished the feeling of oxygen flowing inside his lungs, in through his nose, out through his mouth. "...Breathe, Ponyboy," a voice told him, and he was relieved to be able to match a name with it. "You're gonna be okay..."

Sodapop.

Suddenly, everything matched and led to Sodapop. The hand on his back, the other hand stroking his damp, sweaty hair, the soothing voice whispering encouraging words for him to calm down and take deep breaths. They all belonged to his older brother.

And then, the whereabouts of his oldest brother revealed themselves.

So did Two-Bit Matthews'.

His vision cleared in an instant, blurriness fading away, the corners of his eyes now flooded with the scenery that was his room. He could now see his brothers' and his friend's worried stares, three piercing pairs of differently colored eyes burning holes filled with worry and fright into his small being.

He didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do except dumbly sit on his bed and take deep breaths while staring back at his bothers' and friend's faces. So, he settled for a typical Ponyboy response.

"...M'okay..."

He was immediately followed by Darry Curtis' infamous parental scowl. "You're far from okay, Ponyboy." The man regretfully realised that his tone wasn't helping himself or his youngest brother, so he let himself relax, his facial features portraying his sudden mood change as well. "What happened, baby?" He sat down next to Ponyboy, who was now only focused on him. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Ponyboy felt regret cloud his own features when he couldn't give a proper answer. "Pony?" he heard, but he was too far lost in his mind to completely process it. He was confused about what had happened, and couldn't piece it all together, not even close to resembling a puzzle. At that point, everything was scattered in his soul, replacing his spirit with nothing but confusion, and perhaps fear, but mainly confusion, and he didn't even register his brothers call his name when he lost focus of his oldest brother and let darkness drag him down to unconsciousness, or felt his body hit the solid surface of the floor with a loud bang that he didn't hear.

Everything was dark.

XxX

Everything was fuzzy.

I felt like I was floating, but I couldn't see how. As a matter of fact, I couldn't _see_.

I was surrounded by complete darkness. Whether I had my eyes closed or opened, all I could see was pitch black.

I felt numb. I couldn't feel anything. Emotions sounded weird to me, and I couldn't move a limb. I wasn't sure I even had a limb to move, and with no sight to see, I had no lead to how I existed.

Or, _if_ I existed.

Then, I saw something move out of the corner of my right eye, even through the dark.

Light.

Very small at first, barely noticeable in the first place. And then it got bigger.

As if coming straight toward me.

It got bigger, and brighter, and, as I thought...closer.

Until it made a shape, standing right in front of me. It surprised me how it didn't blind me, but I found myself drawn to it.

_"...Johnny…"_

Suddenly, I could feel everything around me. I moved my fingers, letting my blood flow in; my feet touched something I couldn't recognize. My mouth was slightly opened, my lips as dry as my skin, and I could feel the air travel its way in my nose, and out my mouth. My hair wasn't greased, and my bangs were falling in front of my eyes, but I could still see. And what, or who I saw was...

…Ponyboy.

He was standing in front of me, his eyes looking straight at me, and he was smiling. He looked younger than he was, skinnier, sicker. But he was smiling. And he was glowing.

And then, he talked. _"You've changed, Johnny…"_ His voice was soft, but sharp and full of pain. Yet, he still smiled at me, and his face was all I could look at while everything changed around me without me noticing.

And I found myself smiling at him too, and I ran toward him, arms stretched to give him a hug, and as I passed by him...

...I realized I passed through him.

He wasn't physically there. "Ponyboy..."

He turned around to face me, and when he did, he pursed his lips and closed his eyes. _"You've changed so much..."_ I couldn't tell how I had changed, but I could feel the air around us change, until I finally noticed our surroundings.

We were standing on the top of a hill, with thick, wooden poles and old, broken fence nets. Ponyboy was leaning against one of the poles, his glow a little less bright. I could see the shadow of a tree on the ground next to us as I walked toward him and I slowly started looking around. I had trouble finding out where we were, but then I looked behind me and saw a surprising sight.

The wooden church.

We were in Windrixville.

_"Pretty, uh?"_ Ponyboy asked, and I nodded, picturing the church and regretting it when I started seeing images of it being burned with Ponyboy trapped under a big pile of wood. I shook off my sad thoughts just as I suddenly saw a bright glow. I turned around and noticed that it was Ponyboy.

And then, I looked directly in front of us.

The sun had just started rising, showing off different shades of pink, and then changing to a beautiful golden mist. It was silvery and gold, and there were light clouds around the sun without hiding it. The more it rose, the more Ponyboy glowed, and everything else seemed silent as we both watched the sight in front of us, stretching into a low valley, going on for miles and miles away.

It had to be the prettiest sunrise I had ever seen, and Ponyboy seemed to think so too; he was smiling the whole time. We both watched it in silence before he turned his back on the rising sun, facing me with a smile.

His hand reached out toward me, and for the first time since I started, I didn't flinch. _"Stay gold, Johnny..."_ I let his hand touch my shoulder before resting on it, and I could feel my eyes close against my will, but for the first time since I could remember, I felt at peace and let it be. _"Stay gold..."_

And his small hand gently squeezed my shoulder, and I let him. The air around us became thicker and darker as I closed my eyes and sucked in a sharp breath, and everything around me changed.

Everything was blurry, and it was so silent that I wondered if my hearing was alright, but I could hear something rattling when I moved my right arm. I could tell that I was on my back, and I knew I had to be on a cot or some sort of hospital bed, but I couldn't remember how I had ended up there.

The air in the room was sorta clammy and I could feel the hotness in the air when I breathed in through my nose. As soon as I tried to sit up, pain shot through my lower back, so I hissed and lay down again, trying to sit up more carefully. There was a small throbbing in my head and it made me wonder, _what the hell happened?_ Had I been jumped?

I sat up more slowly, ignoring the pain in my lower back and head as my world tumbled in different directions. My eyesight was still a little blurry, so I made to rub my eyes, only for my right arm to jerk to a stop. I frowned and blinked a few times, and I realized that my wrist was cuffed to the bed.

My heart started pounding in my chest as I pulled at the restraint, wondering why it was necessary; surely if I was on a hospital bed, then I wouldn't try to escape?

And everything dawned on me and crashed down.

The church fire, the arrest, the questioning, the visits, the ra—

Oh, my God.

_I had been raped._

I started wildly pulling on my restraint, fighting against the whimpers that threatened to escape my mouth, but one managed to escape anyway, and it was followed by more, quieter ones. My eyesight was starting to get blurry again, and I could feel something wet around my eyes, and it didn't register in my mind that I was crying, because _I was a rape victim_.

My breathing started to get quicker, and soon my breaths were fast and shallow, and the corners of my vision were getting dark, and the pain in my lower back was sharper, as if mocking me, and fear, shame and many other emotions surrounded me, and I felt hopeless and...

_"...Stay gold, Johnny..."_

I barely heard the voice the first time, but then, I heard it again, and I snapped my mouth opened and my eyes widened. _Stay gold, Johnny...Stay gold, Johnny..._ They echoed around the room, but I could feel myself calm down under the soft voice of my best friend, until...

"Stay gold, Johnny." I turned around, a gasp stuck in my throat, and I coulda sworn I had seen Pony's silhouette standing in front of the door, but it changed into someone else's form, until it became one of the nurses. She made her way over to the bed before I could blink, and she had me on my back before I could make a move of my own.

"Feeling better?" she asked me, and the only thing I managed to do was nod. My eyes were a little wide while I watched her prepare a needle and fill it with some clear liquid, probably a sedative of some sort. It confused me how at ease I was with the situation, but I remembered Ponyboy's words, and it calmed me down.

She stabbed me on my shoulder with the needle, the same shoulder that Ponyboy put his hand on, and I felt warmth spread in my arm and in my chest toward my heart, and my vision was getting blurry again, and I let it.

Everything was dark, but for the first time since I was in prison, it was peaceful.


	30. The Light

**A/N: Hey guys.**

**I wanted to tell y'all again that I was extremely sorry I haven't updated again like I promised you. And I simply have no good excuse, because I have been caught up with watching Teen Wolf (which I simply adore) and Senior year stuff. Still, fanfics and regular stories take dedication, something I have severely lacked in for Early Fire. However, this is the last chapter, and I promise that I haven't written it just to get rid of this story and of the guilt. I am actually quite proud of the result, and I hope you will be too.**

**Now, for my replies (the final ones will be in inbox):**

**white collar black wolf:**** Glad you did. :)**

**CriminalOutsider'sGirl14:**** Thank you for the wishes and also for the review, it's great that people actually liked my writing style for the last chapter. :) Also, nice penname. ;)**

**Zarak:**** Pleased that you're please. :P**

**mycookiegirl:**** That was my goal. :P I hope this chapter will answer your questions, and thank you so much for the compliment. :)**

**FrankElza:**** I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, darling. :) Also, thank you so much for the wishes and support, I appreciate it a lot!**

**WatchRain4898:**** Don't worry about it, what's important for me is that you reviewed for the previous chapter, which, thank you for that. :)**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Aww, your review was so touching! Thank you so much! xx**

**Chick1966****(chapter 17)****:**** Johnny was raped in chapter 27, and I hope this chapter answers your second question. :)**

**Sunsetlover321:**** I'm glad you thought so! Thank you. :)**

**Amanda:**** Your review made me laugh. :P I'm glad you love this story so much, and thank you. :)**

**MiniHorseMeadow:**** I'm sorry for the confusion the previous chapter brought you. I hope you understood it in time. :)**

**Guest:**** Nope, there's this chapter here left. :P**

**outsiderstrash****(chapter 4)****:**** Your review made me laugh out loud. I'm glad you like this story. :P**

**That settles it for the reviews. I'm sorry if my previous chapter brought confusion to my readers. To summarize what happened in chapter 29, after Ponyboy was drowned in chapter 28, he had a dream of seeing his mother. Because of his amnesia though, he couldn't remember her. He woke up, feeling like he was drowning again, and when he caught his breath again, he fell asleep soon after, needing more rest. In Johnny's part, he had the same kind of dream as Ponyboy's (to show their friendship bond), except Johnny dreamt of Ponyboy. When he woke up, he remembered the rape (which happened in chapter 27), and started panicking, just like Ponyboy, he fell asleep soon after the nurse from the prison sedated him. So! Again, I apologies for the confusion, but many of my reviewers liked it, so I'm glad you did.**

**This is my final A/N for Early Fire. I wanted to say one final thanks for all the support, as this stories has reached 35 000 views and nearly 300 reviews. God I'll miss every one of you! There WILL be a sequel, just I'll buy myself a bit of time before posting it. In the mean time, I hope this final chapter satisfies you guys.**

XxX

Silence.

A strong force. The only factor shattering it at the moment was someone's light, peaceful breathing.

Suddenly, a cough. A cough, soon followed by another, and another. Rushed footsteps echoing in the hallway, the sound of a door being slammed against its own hinges.

The sight, not as alarming as it sounds, was still worrying for Two-Bit Matthews, who didn't quite know how to take care of people. He sure would try, though.

With a heartbeat, one which he felt in his own chest, he quickly made his way to the side of the bed, helping the coughing person, more known as Ponyboy Curtis, sit up to subside his coughing and calm him down.

It worked, for the most part. He did end his coughing; however, the shivering showed how much the boy was shaken from the previous events.

Two-Bit rubbed his younger friend's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner, trying to stop Ponyboy's tremors. "Sshhh, it's gonna be fine, Pone..."

"I-I'm c-c-cold..." Ponyboy whispered, finally looking up from the bed sheets to Two-Bit's stormy gray eyes, which held nothing but worry and concern for the youngest Curtis brother.

Two-Bit felt Ponyboy's forehead, ignoring the flinch that clouded the boy's face, and noted with a frown that it was warm. No doubt did the boy get a fever from being drowned in the water fountain.

The older teen was incredibly mad at the Socs for fighting so dirty, for stooping so low as to drown a crippled kid, not to mention that it was his second time being drowned by the same bastards to begin with. The same bastards who never got in trouble for anything. It simply infuriated Two-Bit.

However, it was quite easy to guess who would be slightly more ticked off than the rusty-colored haired greaser.

Ponyboy's brothers.

Boy, had they been _livid_. Two-Bit had almost kicked his ass goodbye; if anything, he had been the one in charge of taking care of the youngest brother in the older siblings' absence. However, knowing the Curtis brothers, they had been mad at the Socs and at Two-Bit's teacher.

"The teacher hasn't even done anything," Darry had grounded, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. "I oughta do something myself."

Sodapop, who hadn't spoken a word since he got inside, stepped in. "It ain't gonna do any good. They're just gonna use the fact that he's an amnesiac cripple as an advantage." The bitter tone in his voice would've alarmed Darry any other time, hadn't the older brother been just as mad as him.

The brothers had then stormed off with the excuse of figuring the situation out alone, asking—or rather ordering—Two-Bit to keep an eye on their youngest sibling while they dealt with the current issue.

Two-Bit lowered his gaze to the floor after Ponyboy fell back in a restless sleep. He needed to tell Sodapop and Darry about Ponyboy's possible fever, but from the way they were heatedly arguing in the kitchen, it was best he take care of his younger friend for the time being.

Sodapop ran a hand through his disheveled hair while he paced back and forth next to the table, his voice raw from the past hour, Darry sitting on one of the chairs, his head in his palms, and his elbows resting on the wooden surface.

Finally, the oldest sibling broke the silence.

"I don't know what to do," he groaned, looking up at Sodapop, who had stopped pacing and now stared at him with concern. Seeing Darry so unsure was unsettling, as the oldest Curtis brother usually always knew what to do, or showed so.

Darry rested his arms on the table, fingers drumming on the wooden surface as he stared at it. "I just don't know anymore."

And for the first time since Sodapop could remember, the table's surface slowly yet surely started gaining tiny droplets of salty water, as Darry sat there and cried.

XxX

Dallas woke up with one hell of a headache.

The springs of his cot creaked under the pressure of his rough body as he shifted into a better position, only for his wrist to be jerked back. "What the..." he groggily grunted, jerking his arm again, only then feeling the cool metal wrapped around his wrist. He blinked a few times, waiting for his vision to clear out, and as soon as the blurriness faded, he was met with the sight of a handcuff.

It dawned on him then what had happened a few moments ago.

Johnny had been raped.

He shot up, ignoring the handcuff jerking his arm once more, and frantically looked around, finally settling on the sight next to him.

"Johnny," he muttered, getting out of his cot to get a better look. The handcuff was too short for him to reach out for the younger greaser, but he could still see the boy's state, lying too still in his own cot.

The events of earlier replayed themselves in his mind as a constant, haunting reminder. He had jumped all over Crash after learning of the "action" that he had missed, landing hit after hit until some hood taunting him of actually caring for the little whore. He then literally saw red, aiming on spilling the blood of the fucker who dared talk low of Johnny that way. He was ganged up on just as the officers came in, and one last punch rendered him unconscious.

"Dirty, lying cheats," he growled under his breath, but as he stared at the broken boy by his side, he realized something.

He didn't care about his rep.

He cared about Johnny.

"Cheesy ass shit..." he muttered, a frown gracing his elfish features as he stared at the teen in the neighboring cot. He felt frustrated, but he also felt another emotion.

Confusion.

He was confused as to why he cared so much about Johnny Cade, what specifically drew him closer to the boy than to anyone else. He was confused as to why he deliberately le himself get beaten up back in the cafeteria after jumping the stupid hoods.

But most of all, he was confused as to why he inexplicably suddenly didn't have a shit to give about his rep, which he had been the proudest of. Every hood and greaser out there could only wish of having a rep sheet as long and full as his.

So, why didn't he?

A whimper quickly snapped him out of his thoughts, his bangs flying in every direction as he whipped his head toward the worrisome sound. Johnny was trying to shift on his cot, handcuff keeping him from settling in the position he desired.

Dallas jerked his wrist, trying in vain to reach his friend, just as the nurse stepped in the room, walking toward the boy with a needle in hand.

"Wait," Dallas said, looking up at the nurse. He eyed his handcuff and jerked his wrist again, wordlessly asking her to get rid of it.

She raised an eyebrow. "You know that's not what I'm here for. Now, let me do my job."

Dallas jerked his wrist a third time, the metal echoing in the room. The nurse kept staring right back at him. "Just get someone to unlock it." She cocked a skeptical eyebrow at him. "I just wanna comfort my...friend," he said, finding the word odd when escaping his lips. Friend? He's never had a friend. Still, one glance at Johnny Cade had his heart soften, and for the first time since even he could remember, he whispered, "Please."

The nurse caved in and called in a cop, who happened to be Peter, the one who had arrested Johnny, the one who had claimed to be on their side. The man took one glance at Johnny, then at Dallas, and nodded apprehensively, unlocking the cuffs holding the two greasers hostage of their cots. On his way back outside the door, he whispered words that Dallas didn't understand to the nurse, but correctly guessed after the nurse followed Peter outside the room.

Another whimper brought Dallas out of his stupor, alerting him that Johnny was waking up in a panic. Without a second thought, Dallas shot up and sat on the neighboring cot, trying to get its occupant to wake up.

And wake up he did.

Johnny loudly gasped, limbs flailing uncontrollably, fingers trying to grasp something sturdy.

Which happened to be Dallas' shirt.

"Woah, hey, it's okay Johnnycakes," Dallas muttered, grabbing Johnny's wrist, roughed up from the cuff, maybe Johnny whimper. Dallas' elfish features softened. "It's me, Dally. You're okay."

"D-Dal...?" the boy finally whispered, wide eyes staring right back into Dallas' melted ice ones. His eyes then started darting back and forth as he started muttering, "No, no, no no no," his breaths becoming quicker and rattled.

"Johnny, calm down," Dallas said, a little sharper than he meant to, causing the boy to quickly snap out of his attack, his entire body shaking. "What is it?"

The boy's eyes started getting moist, as tears threatened to leak out. "Y-You can't know," he whispered, his voice nearly unrecognizable to the hood. "I-I can't—you c-can't find out..."

Dallas breathed in deeply and rubbed Johnny's back in what he hoped wasn't awkward, his goal to soothe the boy and calm him down. Still, he had to spill the beans. "Johnny," he whispered back, then paused, making the sure the boy looked at him. After a few silent moments, he added, "Everyone knows."

The reaction was instant.

"No," Johnny said, panic creeping up his spine at lighting speed. "No, no, no, NO!"

Dallas slowly wrapped his arms around the frantic boy, who kept shouting the same word, but it unfazed Dallas, who hugged Johnny more tightly, rubbing the boy's back again. Johnny struggled in his grasp, still refusing to believe that everyone had seen and everyone knew.

And when it finally dawned in on him that this was his reality, he broke down in the hood's arms, instantly wrapping his arms back around the hood's mid-section, body shaking from the raging fire that were his sobs.

And for the first time since Dallas could remember, his own tears escaped his eyelids one by own, slowly soaking his younger friend's hair and prison suit. As he held on tighter to the weeping boy in his arms with muffled cries, he knew that he had finally reached his breaking point.

XxX

Everything was silent.

He was lying down on his bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. Two-Bit had long since left his room, leaving him prisoner of his own thoughts. He could vaguely hear his friend and older brothers discuss in the living room—or kitchen, wherever they were—but he couldn't find it in him to join. Somehow, he knew that they were talking about him.

Suddenly, there was bright flash next to his window, as if beckoning him to walk toward it. He squinted his eyes toward the light only to notice that it had already disappeared, although his window was opened.

He tilted his head to the side like a curious puppy, leaning on his good arm to sit up on his bed. He could see the light fading in the distance, screaming at him to follow it yet still casting his face in a mellow glow.

He paused, glancing toward where the living room should be, and he could hear Sodapop pace, surely wearing the floor out. He glanced back at the window, wondering if it wasn't his fever playing tricks on him; surely it couldn't be that bad as to hallucinate, though. His brothers probably wouldn't mind if he just tried to figure it out for a few moments, either.

He took his time getting up, shivers creeping up his spine and surrounding his body like an envelope. He held on to his desk chair with his good arm and slowly rose, ignoring the shivering in his legs as he tried to apply less pressure on his bad one.

He sighed, lids fluttering his deception as he found himself having trouble walking to the window, but he halted just as he looked up.

His facial expression held one of a deer caught in blazing headlights.

Ponyboy no longer found himself standing in his bedroom, protected by the comfort of his soft sheets. Instead, he could feel herbs tickling his bare feet, causing him to instantly notice his quite familiar surroundings.

He was standing in the meadow of his dreams, the light still fading in the distance, but everything was starting to make sense to him now.

_"...Follow the path..."_

He whipped his head to the side, trying to make out where the strangely soothing voice was coming from. He could see a pathway leading to an unclear location, yet he found himself pulled to it. He took uneasy steps, only to realise that his casts were gone.

He stared in awe at his leg, then at his arm, both free of their medical prisons, but one thing kept gnawing at his mind; the fact that the only thing left to recover was his memory.

He had started remembering his school and classes, along with being a considerably good runner on the track field, something he could no longer do until he properly healed. He would remember everything in due time.

With that in mind, he hadn't realised that he had started walking down the path, only noticing that he was moving when he neared what looked to be an old, wooden, abandoned church. He could faintly distinguish the light, brightly flashing behind the torn down walls of the church. He slowly walked around the abandoned shack, the light getting brighter, until he could finally see it take shape.

A boy around his age was standing still, looking in front of his small frame with a smile gracing his dark-skinned face. He wore a worn, orange prisoner suit and utterly looked miserable, if not for the smile that wouldn't leave his face, glowing just as brightly as the light enveloping him.

And then, he spoke.

_"...Nature's first green is gold..._

_...Her hardest hue to hold..._

_...Her early leaf's a flower..._

_...But only so an hour..._

_...Then leaf subsides to leaf..._

_...So Edan sank to grief..._

_...So dawn goes down to day..._

_...Nothing gold can stay..."_

Ponyboy stood there, watching the boy in awe at words he couldn't comprehend; they simply sounded magical to his ears.

The boy finally faced him, the light fading to a duller glow, a slight frown replacing his smile. _"...Don't you remember, Ponyboy...?"_

The boy in question felt skeptical about the stranger knowing who he was or what situation he was facing, more precisely his amnesia. He took a tentative step forward, scrutinizing the dark-skinned teenager with a suspicious eye. "No...I don't," he whispered, dark, mocha eyes staring straight into his.

The boy closed his eyes, and the light behind him began glowing brighter and brighter, swallowing the boy in its now menacing rays. Ponyboy slowly dropped down on his knees, shielding his eyes with his arm, crouching low and away from the blaring light.

The moment seemed to last forever, until curiosity got the best of him and he peeked through half-opened lids, eyes instantly widening at the sight in front of him.

The boy had been replaced by the woman from the exact dream he had had a few hours ago—or was it a few days? Time seemed lost in his mind—and she was looking at him with a soft smile.

_"...This might clear your vision...son..."_

And his eyes bore holes into hers as she pressed her finger to his forehead, feeling a sharp sting in his head before everything went dark, and he found himself going through the past, through his life.

_...Nature's first green is gold..._

He could see a tiny bundle in some sobbing woman's arms, the mop of red hair familiar to him until it hit home that the newborn baby was himself, and the woman was his mother, surrounding by his shining family.

_...Her hardest hue to hold..._

The newborn baby, now cleaned up, was lying inside a cubicle, extremely premature, his body worn out from the fight. Still, he was holding two reassuring fingers, those of his brothers, now much younger, in his tiny fists, and his baby self was smiling.

_...Her early leaf's a flower..._

He took his tentative first steps, his mother kneeling down not a few feet away from his shaking body, arms outstretched and ready to catch him was he to fall. His brothers were cheering on him in the sidelines, and his father was proudly taking pictures of him. He let himself fall into his mother's welcoming arms, cheers surrounding his toddler self as he laughed along with his family.

_...But only so an hour..._

He gripped his mother's hand tightly as she ushered him to the front steps of the elementary school, his first day leaving his mother's side chilling him to the bones. After refusing to let her go, she kneeled down in front of him and soothingly rested her hands on his shoulders, promising to go to the ice cream parlor and treat him with his favorite flavor if he promised to be a good boy. With a kiss to his forehead answered by a kiss to her cheek, the promise was sealed as he stormed up the stairs happily, leaving her to stand there with a teary smile.

_...Then leaf subsides to leaf..._

He was surrounded by taller people, walking up the steps to Will Rogers High, tightly clutching his books in his arms. Having skipped a grade had its perks, but it also could suck, and he was extremely nervous to make a fool of himself in front of everyone. Still, his mother's proud smile was what kept him going, and despite being pushed around by the richer kids, he still had Two-Bit, Steve, Sodapop and Johnny by his side.

_...So Edan sank to grief..._

"No-o-ooooo!" he shouted, pounding into Darry's chest as his oldest brother tightly held him, Sodapop having wrapped his arms around him from behind, the both of them sobbing. The police officer left them to grieve, bowing his head in respect of those who had lost their parents. "Moooom! Daaaad!" he wailed, finally collapsing in his brothers' arms, the sobs racking his body in angry spasms as it dawned on him that his parents wouldn't ever be coming back.

_...So dawn goes down to day..._

He was being held down by four Socs, one of them flicking a blade open and holding it menacingly under his neck, and he shouted the gang's names in desperate pleas for help. The next events happened in a blur, and he could feel the sting of Darry's palm as it struck his cheek. He ignored his brother's pleas for him to stay as he slammed the door open, running as fast as a deer being chased for the kill. He was caught by the hunters at the park's fountain, their arms locked around his flailing limbs as he struggled to break free of their grip, his strength fading with the amount of oxygen he lost from breathing murky fountain water.

_...Nothing gold can stay..._

Both he and Johnny ran away, feet frantically pounding on the ground as they ran to catch up on the freight to Windrixville. He fell asleep, only to wake up in heat, the abandoned church burning with a raging fire surrounding him and rendering him helpless. "Johnny!" he helplessly screamed, watching the beams give him around him, trapping him under the rubble of the destroyed church, his sobs echoing in his prison, leaving him alone and in extreme pain.

...

_...Nothing gold can stay..._

He found himself screaming, struggling against the bed sheets that were trapping him to his bed. He ignored his brothers and friends trying to calm him down, screaming, "Johnny!" once again.

It all crashed down on him, and he realized that he was me, and _I remember everything._

**The End.**


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